Earlier this week, we heard the rumblings of some new legislation designed to curb the spread of mobile food vendors, who have already been facing down opponents in Midtown, the Upper West Side and Park Slope. Today, the Post reports that UWS Councilwoman Gale Brewer has indeed introduced a new bill, requiring the Department of Health to report the number of permits it issues each year to food trucks and carts, as part of a larger plan to regulate trucks overall. We spoke to Brewer to find out what exactly her beef with food trucks and carts is: more ›

The latest group to complain about mobile food vendors are none other than cabbies, who claim that trucks and carts are crowding taxi stands around Columbus Circle, costing them precious fares from the hordes of shoppers burdened with bags from Stuart Weitzman. And DNAinfo reports that City Councilwoman Gale Brewer is taking up their cause. more ›

City Councilman Jumaane Williams isn't the only City Councilperson to have a run in with the NYPD at a parade this year. Though his arrest at the West Indian Parade was definitely worse, what with the whole arrested thing, UWS Councilwoman Gale Brewer apparently had her own tough time with the police at the Gay Pride Parade this year, and she's decided to talk about it. Capital's Azi Paybarah got his hands on a scathing letter from Brewer to commissioner Ray Kelly in which she recounts her experience. Spoiler alert: She is not a fan of the NYPD these days! more ›

In the past 12 months, the Department of Transportation filled a record high 400K potholes. But Upper West Side Councilwoman Gale Brewer didn't exactly feel the love: a study commissioned by her office revealed that while 77 percent of the potholes reported to 311 were filled, the calls only represented 50 percent of the total number of potholes in her district, which runs from West 54th to 96th street. A few potholes were even repaired and then deteriorated to their original condition. "It needs to be more carefully monitored, because obviously that's a waste of money," Brewer tells DNAinfo. Better get back to work, Warmy! more ›

After numerous city buildings were found to have a rash of structural violations, Councilmember Gale Brewer told the Daily News that she will investigate why the Department of Citywide Administrative Services hasn't brought them up to code. "If the city doesn't take care of its buildings," she said, "how can we ask private owners to do it?" Sounds like Mike the Super needs to TiVo Maury and get off the couch so One Police Plaza's emergency exits have dedicated power supplies. You know, in case of an emergency. more ›

City Council member Gail Brewer and other Council members are introducing legislation today that would dramatically change the way drivers and cyclists use the city's most beloved parks. One bill would change the traffic lights to flashing yellow during hours when motorists are prohibited from Central Park's main drive. And a second bill would entirely eliminate motorists from the main drive (the crosstown transverses would remain open). more ›

On Thursday, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn basically killed the paid sick leave bill by saying she would not support the measure which would require small businesses (less than 20 people) to give employee five paid sick days while larger businesses would need to give 9 paid sick days. She explained, "It would be a great thing if we could mandate every worker got paid sick leave But if we do that and it causes people to in fact lose their jobs, what benefit have we actually forwarded?" more ›

Upper West Siders don’t know whether to stay or go since crosswalk markers started malfunctioning in record numbers. According to the NY Post, at least 13 of the conflicting white "crossing man" and red "flashing hand" signals were counted in the neighborhood by City Councilwoman Gale Brewer's office. Brewer is concerned about the peril the mixed signals present to pedestrians, especially senior citizens. "We worry about them even if we have signals that are functioning properly," she said. "Now that they're not, it's even more of a worry." But what is the city going to do about it? more ›

In the wake of the fatal collision between a small fixed-wing airplane and a sightseeing helicopter, officials gathered today at the 30th Street Heliport on the west side to demand that the F.A.A. and the city ban tourism helicopter flights over the densest parts of Manhattan. Meanwhile, outside an East Harlem elementary school, Mayor Bloomberg said he was leaving the decision up to the F.A.A., telling reporters, "They don’t need me weighing in. They know certainly well what goes on there. They are professionals. I assume they’re going to wait until the National Transportation Safety Board to make its report and then they’ll make their decisions." more ›

With tens of thousands of helicopter tours above Manhattan each year, some are questioning once again how wise it is for there to be so many chopper rides offered to the public right above the heart of the city. Some companies won't offer rides above the dense city streets because they say that it's not worth the risk if something were to go wrong. New York Helicopter Charter's owner Michael Roth told the Post, "If you have an engine failure at 1,600 feet and you are on top of the Empire State Building, there's no way you are going to autorotate [glide with rotors turning] to the East River to make a landing. These are machines. Things can happen." And would you have guessed that Manhattan residents have begun complaining about noise from the helicopters? Councilwoman Gale Brewer raised the issue when one of her constituents on West 83rd Street told her, "There is no silence. It's like there is a helicopter perpetually." Last summer one Manhattan operator agreed to phase out their flights. And if urban choppers do become a thing of the past altogether, there's always hot air balloons. more ›

Last year City Councilwoman Gale Brewer proposed a bill that would fine establishments $200 per open door/window in air conditioned spaces (as well as heated spaces in the winter), the bill wasn't fully backed by the Bloomberg administration and never saw the light of day...until now! The NY Post reports that the environmentally friendly bill is now supported by Bloomberg and "is expected to win council approval tomorrow." more ›

The NY Times columnist Clyde Haberman is annoyed about shops that keep their air-conditioned stores' doors wide open and found other New Yorkers who share that gripe. One downtown resident was told by a Soho clothing store that the open door was "company policy," so the outraged resident called the store's main office, where someone "said they had a ‘green team’ forming." more ›

Forget about leaving doors open to attract customers with air conditioning and heat, back in 1934 there was a vision of having air-conditioned sidewalks! In another article from the past, the idea is explored. more ›

Yohji Yamamoto's recently opened Y-3 store at 317 West 13th Street in the West Village is upsetting some locals. One tipster writes in:

The idiots at the new Y-3 store on 13th street leave the front door (a garage door) open all day long. It is 30 degrees outside, yet that strip of the sidewalk is toasty warm.