Bike lane haters are still smarting after being forced to chug a gallon of Haterade after a judge dismissed a lawsuit against the Prospect Park West bike lane. But as they appeal the decision, the DOT has handed them a small victory by omitting the construction of a two-way bike lane on East and West Plaza Streets at Grand Army Plaza. "If we had not done what we've been doing with the bike lanes, they probably would have moved ahead," Louise Hainline of Neighbors That Don't Use Bike Lanes Neighbors For Better Bike Lanes tells the Daily News. more ›

Saddle up for the 2011 Tour del Taco, a bike ride through the finest taco establishments this town has to offer. Organized by three taco-loving friends, the Brooklyn by Bike tour on October 9 will hit five spots in Brooklyn and Queens: Los Hermanos in Bushwick, La Esquina in Williamsburg, El Gobo in Corona, Roosevelt Ave taco trucks in Queens, and one TBD Sunset Park stop. Who will reign supreme? more ›

The new de-paned Apple Cube by Grand Army Plaza won't be revealed until November but some four-legged fans just can't wait. As far as the Daily News is concerned there is an epidemic of rats-the-size-of-rabbits currently inhabiting the park in front of the Plaza Hotel. more ›

After the rich folk who reside at the chic, Richard Meier-designed 1 Grand Army Plaza dodge the rat army, they can't even enjoy peace and quiet thanks to the frat house synagogue next door. 1 GAP's board is suing Union Temple because of the incessant, "pounding music throughout the night" from the people that pay to rent out their Grand Ballroom. An attorney for the condo board claims that the noise has been registered as being "eight times the legal limit," and "it literally blasts the entire building" with "raucous, loud parties that went quite late." Hmm, we'd never thought of converting until now... more ›

Remember that Food Truck Rally at Grand Army Plaza we told you about a few months ago? The one that was supposed to be a one-off thing? Well, it was such a hit that it's happening twice a month all summer, and some local restaurant owners are none too pleased with the wheeled vendors. more ›

Because apparently no one in this city can get enough of food that comes out of a truck (it's magic!), the Prospect Park Alliance has put together an event that will make it even easier for you to find a meal on wheels, and they're calling it, creatively, Food Truck Rally. Taking over Grand Army Plaza next Sunday, the festival promises everything from lobster rolls (Red Hook Lobster Pound) to falafel (Taim Mobile), all in one convenient parking lot—but wait, haven't we seen this before? more ›

When WPIX headed out to cover a reported rat convergence around Grand Army Plaza, they found their fair amount of freaked out locals. But in between the shrieks and fear of disease and worry that the cold weather will send even more rats out of the woods, Cynthia Chatman said it's high time everyone just deal. "Well that's the way New York is," she said. "What are you going to do? There are a lot of rats here!" And eventually they're all going to get killed by the opossums anyway, so it's really no biggie. more ›

The ratdemic has moved over to Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza, where rats are allegedly holding court and scoffing at the Parks Departments efforts to poison them! According to the Daily News, the rodents have taken to a wooded area at the northern end of the landmark (near Bailey Fountain) and are still running rampant even after the Parks Department baited the area with poison. more ›

The bride said, "Knowing that someday soon horse-drawn carriages in New York will be a thing of the past would be the most wonderful wedding present I can imagine. We're asking other couples who are getting married to steer clear of horse-drawn carriages and avoid turning their joyous wedding day into a day of misery for an abused horse." more ›

Brooklyn will have to cross its legs and wait for the arrival of the first automated pay toilet; following up on an initial report on Brownstoner, the Daily News has confirmed that the Landmarks Preservation Commission has postponed a vote on the matter. There was considerable excitement last month when plans for a toilet in Grand Army Plaza were revealed, particularly because there are few bathrooms in the immediate vicinity, and the public is often reduced to using the less than sanitary porta-potties in Prospect park. The local community board approved the proposal, but it seems the commission is concerned the toilet's aesthetics will clash with the surrounding landmarked structures, such as the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch. They've requested renderings showing how the toilet will look in the wider context of Grand Army Plaza, and won't vote until they're satisfied with what they see. Two of the self-cleaning pay toilets are already doing brisk business in Manhattan (with occasionally embarrassing results); they cost 25 cents for 15 minutes on the throne. more ›

Oh, the fun reporters have with bathrooms. Today the Brooklyn Paper, in an article headlined "Flush with Success," has the scoop on what will likely be Kings County's very first public pay toilet, to be located in Grand Army "Plotz-a." There are currently two such self-cleaning toilets in town, located in Corona Plaza, Queens and in Manhattan at Madison Square Park. Costing 25 cents for 15 minutes alone with the throne, they're managed by Cemusa, the same company that previously brought you Bowery Street. The DOT has been sloooowly moving to install twenty of the rest rooms in all five boroughs, and the Grand Army Plaza facility is expected to be approved by the local Community Board next week. But some locals like Park Slope resident Joan Tobias voiced trepidation about the sanitary conditions: "As long as they keep it clean, I’m not against it. I’d be willing to pay even a one dollar fee, as long as it’s clean. If it’s kept clean, I’m OK with it." In other words, she really hopes Cemusa cleans better than they spell. more ›

Architect Richard Meier told NY magazine, when asked about the real estate market in the next year or so, "I think there will be a lot of empty apartments." Meier's NYC designs include the Perry Street towers and a big building at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza, which he says is 60% sold, but "the next 40% will go slowly." Luckily, he pointed out, "I'm just the architect." Meier previously told the Observer, back in September (the day Lehman Brothers declared bankruptcy), "I don't know how to deal with it or what it means. Certainly, it's going to have a serious effect on my work." more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck on Broadway and 231st St. in the Bronx, an aircraft alert at JFK at Queens, and a person fatally struck by a train at 57th St. and 8th Ave. in Manhattan.
• Entries for the NYC Half-Marathon will start being accepted at 11:59pm on May 29th. Details.
• And the Design Trust for Public Space is accepting submissions for its Grand Army Plaza redesign competition.
• An Internal Affairs Bureau Lt. has been reassigned to a surveillance booth in a housing project after his friend allegedly raped a young woman in the apartment of the cop's girlfriend as she begged him to stop.
• The body of Rabbi Zev Segal, missing since yesterday morning, was found in his car, which apparently slid into the Hackensack River in NJ.
• The memorial for promoter-gossip Baird Jones is being held at Plumm, a venue he wasn't a huge fan of.
• A Gawker employee was shackled and thrown into the Tombs after drinking a beer-in-a-bag in the subway system.
• The carjacker of Mayor Bloomberg's personal car, which was in the possession of one of his aides, faces 15 years in the slammer for the crime.
• A lovely castle-like house in Flushing, Queens - turrets and Tudor details!
• Former Gov. George Pataki underwent emergency surgery this morning to relieve an intestinal blockage (he's had problems with this before!).
• And former Project Runway contestants Jeffrey Sebelia, Santino Rice and Kit Pistol watched Project Runway finale in LA amidst their young, adoring fans.

As a counterpoint to the tale of the mugging in pre-gentrification Bushwick (or East Williamsburg) in New York magazine, we bring you this mugging story from gentrified Park Slope. From the Morgan L station to the popular Grand Army Plaza stop, a woman gave a first person account of being mugged on Sunday with Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn. more ›

Now that you've torn through your presents and are making room for new gifts and purchases -- why not give a little back? Green Brooklyn reminds us that we have until December 31st to make tax-deductible donations (to claim on 2007 income taxes). They were particularly moved by the amount of work Habitat for Humanity has been doing for Brooklyn, they just completed their 9th home in the area -- all "constructed using state-of-the-art, eco-friendly building materials, like cabinets partially made of sunflower seeds and counter tops made of recycled glass." more ›

Last year we "oohed" and "ahhed" at Prospect Park in Lights, and as of last night -- the seasonal luminescence is back. And this year, even the pink lights are "green":Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg tonight flipped the switch on a holiday lighting installation at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park. LEDs, energy-efficient and long-lasting lights that are environmentally friendly, are being used to illuminate the Bailey Fountain and a tree underneath the Sailors and... more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a scaffolding collapse on 5th Ave. and 115th St. in Manhattan, a stabbing on Franklin Ave. in Queens, and a homicide at 83rd St. and 4th Ave. in Brooklyn.
• The new Kaleidoscope Light Show is now on display at Grand Central Terminal's main hall.
• The Toshiba company returns to Times Square after being absent for several decades. The company signed a 10-year lease to capture the top sign spot at 1 Times Square.
• Marty Markowitz will be lighting the giant Brooklyn menorah tomorrow night at Court and Montague Sts. Mr. Met will do the honors flipping the switch on the menorah at Grand Army Plaza.
• A DHL cargo plane will depart from JFK tomorrow loaded with 500 Christmas trees to be delivered to troops in the Middle East.
• Donald Trump Jr. has been renamed the head of his condo board after being ousted without warning a year ago.
• Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte will hold off on retirement and return to the team for the 2008 season.
• The folks at WOXY radio will be streaming nothing but holiday music online between now and Christmas.

...and a thousand Photoshop files were launched! Diane Sawyer may be a veteran journalist and may seem totally unflappable, but even she has totally embarrassing moments. This morning, during a segment unveiling Good Morning America's new holiday windows from the New York Botanical Gardens, she called Mayor Bloomberg a "munchkin." Really: “As a little munchkin, did you come to New York?” To be fair, she was asking Bloomberg whether he visited New York during... more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a construction accident on 23rd Ave. in Queens, a child was struck on West Houston and Thompson St. in Manhattan, and shots fired on 29th St. in Brooklyn.
• Going along with a network-wide environmentally conscious theme at NBC this season, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center will be decorated with low power-consuming LEDs.
• The flat rate for a single subway fare will remain $2 until 2009. The fares will go up for all riders eventually, but not as much as previously expected. Also, only 15% of riders pay the $2 flat fare and will be spared any expected increase.
• Debbie Almontaser, the former principal of the Brooklyn dual-language school that teaches students Arabic, is suing the city. She maintains that she was forced out of her job under threat of closing the entire school.
• A man, woman, and young girl died in a Suffolk County apartment from carbon monoxide poisoning even though the building had already been condemned. We'll again stress the importance of making sure smoke and CO monitors are operable in your homes.
• If you missed the full display last year, we're sorry to say that the LED decorations around Brooklyn's Prospect Park will not be reinstalled this year. The Gowanus Lounge reports, however, that a Grand Army Plaza installation will be in place at the beginning of December.
• Despite being named Man of the Year by "the press" and making billions of dollars as a press magnate, Mayor Bloomberg finds the media annoying.
• Place those Christmas Eve carrots out for Santa instead of his reindeer, because some are saying that the plump jolly elf is a bad example for kids suffering from childhood obesity. We apparently need a Santa who's ripped and has sixpack abs.

Like many, whenever we traverse any streets along Grand Army Plaza, we basically run (or bike) for our lives. more ›

The Plaza, you know that place where the kids in Gossip Girl hang out, is turning 100 years old today. The date is marked by the first guest to ever check in to the famed establishment. Who was it? The fancy-named Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, and of course a PR-driven hotel manager was behind that. The NY Times reports that "His arrival was orchestrated by the Plaza’s first manager, who wanted the new hotel to open with a splashy, attention-getting stunt." more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: falling debris on W 47th St. and 8th Ave. in Manhattan, a shooting on Broadway on Staten Island, and a suspicious boat at the Verrazano Bridge near Brooklyn.
• For a reason unrelated to terrorism, the U.S. Parks Dept. is going to keep the crown of the Statue of Liberty closed because it's a fire death-trap.
• Iranian President Mahmoud Amahdinejad's wish to visit Ground Zero was blocked due to security concerns.
• Leaping Labradors! Dogs competing for top dog dock jumping honors were jumping into a pool at Bryant Park.
• Money should start flowing quicker than spilled oil now that Julia Roberts stand-in Erin Brockovich has jumped into the Greenpoint oil spill pool.
• Despite objections from transit groups and the state comptroller, the MTA is prepared to propose a fare increase for commuters.
• Are New Yorkers in store for a second taxi strike?
• Filmmaker brothers Ethan and Joel Coen are attempting to pass off Brooklyn as the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, DC. Mutual outrage will likely ensue.
• The vigil for recently deceased carriage horse Smoothie has been moved to the southeast corner of Central Park at the northeast section of Grand Army Plaza. It'll take place Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

One of the city's biggest parades of the year, if not the largest, is tomorrow: The annual West Indian American Day Carnival. With millions in attendance and colorful sights, the parade is a Brooklyn highlight. more ›

September 3: West Indian–American Day Carnival more ›

Two years ago, we wondered if there was a big list of all the fountains in New York City. We haven't made that much progress with the list, but at least now we have a list of the "display fountains" the Parks Department maintains. And it's interesting - Brooklyn only has three while Staten Island has eight. Of course, there are many fountains outside of the Parks Department's jurisdiction (for instance, the fountain outside the Brooklyn Museum), so if you can help remind us of others in the comments, that would be great. more ›

Police say a 15-year-old rape victim helped them track down the suspect in five city park rapes. Alvin Henry, who was part of Trinidad and Tobago's 2000 Olympic track team, was arrested Sunday night in connection with a series of rapes spanning four years. The 33-year-old suspect allegedly asked a 15-year-old victim is she wanted to see him again. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on 101st Ave. in Queens, a boat in distress at the Gateway Marina off Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, and an "unusual occurrence" on Wall St. in Manhattan.
• Brownstoner notes the arduous bureaucratic effort to get DUMBO landmarked, and developers' rush to build before that can happen.
• The NYPD is initiating TOMS––Total Order Maintenance Sweeps––aboard Metro-North and LIRR trains to deter terrorists commuting from the suburbs, after examining the methods employed in places like Spain and London.
• A 17-year-old kid was shot once in the head and once in the chest in an East Harlem KFC last night. He was declared dead at the hospital.
• A short film showing the anonymous street artist known as Banksy installing his own works inside the Metropolitan Museum, along with identifying placards.
• An upstate teenager from Brewster would've been working double duty with his fake ID if he had one, because the 15-year-old was arrested for driving while intoxicated, and driving.
• Ironically, the itinerant Madison Square Garden that destroyed Penn Station (the good one), could wind up ruining the proposed Moynihan Station at the Farley Post Office building as well.
• Republicans hope to regain an Upper East Side seat, once held by liberal Republican and former Mayor John Lindsay but since surrendered to Democrats, in a special election tomorrow.

Anyone who has attempted to walk or bike from one side of Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza to another knows that it can be a difficult journey, through which a constantly swiveling head is required to keep an eye on traffic coming from seemingly every direction. The above overhead image shows just a portion of the plaza where five different roads converge in an inner traffic loop, including Eastern Parkway and Prospect Park West, and the entire site is bisected by Flatbush Ave. It's also a destination for pedestrians and cyclists. Aside from the plaza's Memorial Arch and Bailey Fountain, Grand Army Plaza is the northwest entrance to Prospect Park, hosts a weekend greenmarket, and is the location of the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. more ›

• 90-floor hotel at the Javits Center? That'll be great for the West Side Stadium - oh, wait
• Huh: Kean University hires former NJ Governor James McGreevey to teach ethics, law and leadership - we sort of understand it because they're just paying him $17,500, but STILL
• He's ready: Suspected sexual attacker Peter Braunstein was found mentally fit to stand trial
• Former Montessori school headmistress Lina Sinha's 14 year sentence for seducing a student is one year more than the student's age at the time
• Biggest non-shock: Duane Reade being ranked #7 out of 7 pharmacy chains surveyed
• It's Brooklyn "zipper pin" designer versus the Gap; maybe she can complain about the Williamsburg jeans while she's at it
• 11 Spring Street is busy getting buffed
• The Department of Transportation may tear down or renovate the Kosciuszko Bridge because it has "narrow lanes, insufficient shoulders and limited sight distance"
• ...and in other DOT news, Streetsblog has the agency's plans for Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza - which makes you wonder why the DOT can't put them up on their site for the public to see (Streetsblog also looks at what the Grand Army Plaza Coalition's ideas are)