Late yesterday afternoon, Queen Elizabeth II visited the World Trade Center site (after her address to the General Assembly). The NY Times reports that people were wondering when she might arrive and that a pedestrian traffic guard answered, "I heard 2:30 and 5:30. Sorry, buddy, Scotland Yard has been out of touch." more ›

Queen Elizabeth II, the long-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom as well as the 15 Commonwealth realms (Canada, Australia, etc.), is visiting New York City this afternoon. She has been on a nine-day tour of Canada, and yesterday, she was stuck in the middle of a power outage in Toronto, affecting a state dinner in her honor. The 84-year-old royal will be visiting the United Nations General Assembly today—we hope there are back-up generators there, since NYC is feeling the heat, too. more ›

amNew York reveals that the MTA will sign a construction contract for the Second Avenue Subway on March 29. We can't believe that the MTA is actually signing a contract - it's only been about four years since the first of the recent-Second-Avenue Subway public hearings! Heck, the Second Avenue Subway was a cover story for New York in 2004. more ›

For those who plan on commuting to or from the Upper East Side many years from now, you have something to look forward to - oh, and those of you living along Second Avenue, you might be annoyed - the MTA is getting ready to award a tunneling contract for the Second Avenue Subway's first phase this year, with digging actually starting in 2008, which means there's still time to relocate! Phase 1 of the long-long-gestating project would start at East 96th Street and go down to East 72nd Street, and make a connection to the East 63rd Street tracks. The only thing standing in the way may be Native American villages and burial grounds. The Post reports that the MTA will have archeologists "on hand to halt the massive tunnel-boring machine at the first sign of artifacts dating back hundreds of years." The MTA probably learned their lesson after coming across the big wall in Battery Park while trying to expand the South Ferry station. more ›

Some readers have been asking about events related to the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Aside from the official city plans, which include moments of silence, reading of victims' names and time for the families to lay flowers at Ground Zero, as well as the lighting of Tribute in Light, a number of organizations and groups have events all weekend and on Monday. For instance, the September 11 Memorial Quilts will be dedicated tomorrow at the Marriott Financial Center, the World Trade Center Survivor's Network will plant a "Survivor Tree" in City Hall Park on Sunday, New York Buddhist Church will have a floating lighted lantern ceremony at Houston and the Hudson River on Monday. more ›

[ed. note: Augieland will be joining us on Wednesdays to bring us his take on a New York dining spot.] more ›

WABC says that many buildings in the Financial District were evacuated due to a gas leak at a New Jersey power plant. Firefighters started evacuating people this morning at 11AM at some buildings, and then some buildings started to evacuate themselves (including 116, 180 and 200 Water streets, 5, 7 and 10 Hanover Square, 111 and 116 John streets, 40 and 49 Fulton Street, 70 Hike Street). When we mapped Linden, NJ - where the plant is located - and 5 Hanover Square (where the smell was first detected), it looks like there's at least 15 miles between them, which makes us wonder if other parts of NJ, like Jersey City, were evacuated. Or did the gas somehow rise so high that only tall building workers were aware. more ›

oyster events later this week -- take your pick. more ›