For sometime now, families have been pouring into lower Manhattan left and right. Very wealthy families with very wealthy kids who need to be educated. And though the public schools downtown are quite good, there is already a limited supply of seats in the elementary school arena. By the time it comes to send Zelda and Holden off to to high school well, the choices are few and far between. But not for long. Though the last attempt to open a new high school downtown was a victim of the economy, two very different schools are now making a go of it. One has deep New York roots and the other is...ambitious. more ›

A well-known ruin is crumbling. According to Roosevelt Island Historical Society president and historian Judith Berdy, part of the north wing of the Smallpox Hospital collapsed about a week ago. She writes, "The rest of the north wing especially the front is in danger of coming down any time... [The Roosevelt Island Operation Corporation] is working with TPL, the Southpoint park developers to find a way to do emergency stabilization of the rest of the building... Please encourage RIOC to do all possible to save the rest of the building." more ›

-Rachel Donadio has a fun essay in the Book Review on how the information age will effect future biographers and historians (the moral: make sure your Boswell backs up your hard drive). more ›

Then on Sunday, police arrested six-month Pop porter Lerome Hilson, a Bronx resident who had been releaed from prison, after serving eight years for burglary, robbery, and weapons chargers. Police said that in the process of interviewing all employees, Hilson claimed he was not there, but then contradicted his statement. Some employees told reporters that there had been some robberies lately; those are being investigated for any possible links to Hilson. more ›