Cheaper than a night at the Met, and less smelly (and intoxicated) than the Elmos of Times Square, buskers in the subway break the banality of our subterranean commute. They also can make a decent amount of cash. "Come holiday time, I can make up to $400 a day," subway drummer Jakeh Thomas tells the Post. "It's the season for giving." Thomas, who is 18, used to work at a carpet store. "They were paying me $10 an hour. But I'm making $10 every fifteen minutes out here." Maybe the president should consider supporting one of the MTA's many "shovel-ready" projects? more ›

Mayor Bloomberg spent Saturday the same way many New Yorkers did—taking advantage of one of the final weekend days to get some shopping done before the holidays arrive. But unlike most, the mayor was playing not-so-secret Santa for two young Washington Heights siblings who had written their letter to St. Nick and addressed it to City Hall. They mayor picked up some sneakers, a basketball and a Hannah Montana gloves-and-hat set that were requested in the letter from 7-year-old Bryan Diaz, who said it was the first year his mother figured out the address to Santa. The mayor spent over a $135 on the pair in what's become a holiday tradition—not just for Bloomberg, but for guests of his holiday party at Gracie Mansion, who each year take one of the letters to Santa that wind up at City Hall. The mayor did his shopping yesterday at a Modell's in the Queens Center Mall, skipping the one near his home on the Upper East Side because as a spokesman said, "He is the mayor of all five boroughs." more ›

While some folks were out en masse to encourage New Yorkers to "Buy Nothing" yesterday, the Volunteers of America kicked off the holiday season by sending their Santas down Fifth Avenue for the 104th Sidewalk Santa Parade in hopes of discovering the spirit of generosity as the holiday season got underway. more ›

All the Thanksgiving advertisements for Black Friday sales were just as successful at drawing out the usual hordes of shoppers yesterday. But the general consensus around town was that the crowds weren't making it all the way to the register as sales appeared to be down on the retail's big annual day. The Post talked to parents at Toys 'R Us in Times Square who said checkout lines were twice as long and that hot toys just weren't as likely to be sold out this year. That can't be good news for retailers who already knew that they'd be taking a hit on returns by offering even steeper sales to draw in consumers who have been MIA of late. At Macy's in Herald Square, even sending out a big celebrity wasn't enough to cheer up the die hards who waited overnight for the store's 5 a.m. opening. "Richard Simmons scares me," a young woman in line told the News upon seeing the fitness guru. more ›

If the the tanking economy or decline in Santas and Christmas trees isn't enough to take the yuletide spirit out of your holiday shopping this year, a mall in Staten Island has found a new way to spruce itself up for the season: putting up mug shots of shoplifters. The Staten Island Mall is giving everyone a look at thieves who were caught stealing there by placing the crooks' photographs up on advertising boards throughout it. DA Daniel Donovan has developed a program that digitally mixes the images of shoplifters in with ads for shops within the mall. more ›

Today's Post has discovered the latest way to point out just how tightly all of our purse strings are being pulled by tugging at our heart strings and highlighting the latest group to feel the burn of the tanking economy: holiday Santas. The paper talks to a number of Santas who are not surprisingly seeing a downturn in the Santa presence being used this year by malls and holiday hot spots around town like FAO Schwartz and Tavern on the Green--even Volunteers for America are taking them off the sidewalks. One Kris Kringle tells the paper that the $30,000 he made two years ago will likely be $3,000 this season. The situation is so grave that recently it was recently reported that the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, which represents 700 Santas, held a series of meetings to discuss their economic survival. Where will Santas turn with all this time on their hands? more ›