Last fall, the city began accepting online suggestions on how NYC can save some desperately needed money; now, four months later, they have revealed highlights of those money-saving, pleb-originated ideas on their website. Let's take a look at the top three most suggested things: more ›

One young Brooklynite over at the Cheap Thriller blog is tired of seeing his money go down "the same black hole that sucks up all the G trains," so he's come up with a short list of alternative ideas the MTA can put into effect before draining the rest of our pockets with another fare hike. Here are a few: more ›

In an effort to tap the brainpower of its citizens, the city is rolling out an online submission form for New Yorkers to offer their suggestions on how NYC can save money. Currently, the website—which can be reached via NYC.gov or here—is only accepting suggestions, but Deputy Mayor of Operations Stephen Goldsmith says the city eventually aims to build a more vibrant website that's a "transparent marketplace" of ideas to make the city run more efficiently. more ›

Besides the sickening amount of mass-produced prole candy available this time of year, there's also an abundance of higher grade Halloween eating and drinking options. And so it begins; the long, downward holiday flab spiral that reaches its nadir around the first week of January when you have to start leaving the top button of your pants undone. Oh well, no use fighting it; here are some consumption opportunities we've been able to scare up:
• Through the weekend, the 2008 Vendy award-winning Treats Truck will be featuring Halloween specials including Halloween sugar cookies and Candy Corn Crispy Squares. (Keep apprised of the truck's whereabouts.)
• According to their website, "the ghouls of the cheese world" will converge at Artisanal Cheese on Halloween night. Fromager Waldemar Albrecht and wine professional Candela Prol will conduct a tasting of cheeses and wines "from remote and obscure places on a night that will be hauntingly remembered." Sure it costs $85, but freaking out about your budget is part of the Halloween fun.
• Sushi Samba's Halloween specials take their cue from the outrageous, stylized contortions of Kabuki characters, hence their "Spooky Kabooki" party on Friday at their Park and 7th Street location, with a costume contest that will send the most inventively dressed diner (out of all locations) on a weekend vacation to Las Vegas. Runners-up walk with $100 gift certificates, and special menu items include the Dracula dessert: Coca cola gelee, vanilla bean ice cream, raspberry foam and finish with berry blood drops & pop rock explosions.

Fellas, if you’re in some sort of relationship and haven’t nailed down the V-Day itinerary yet, it’s about time to start making some quick decisions and, regrettably, commitments. Reservations fill up fast and no matter what she says about ‘not expecting anything special’, we all know that’s a big trap. But it doesn’t mean you have to submit to an overpriced prix fixe dinner at a stuffy, overcrowded restaurant; here are some less predictable ways to impress your date this Love Day. (We suggest starting now by ordering one of these fine Law & Order SVU Valentine's cards.) more ›

3. Brooklyn Bar Lures Drunks With Prizes: What will happen with Pacific Standard's Frequent Drinker Card Program? more ›

Two weeks ago, Lord & Taylor unveiled its holiday windows theme "Christmas is the Moment," based on the the five senses and the wonderful things people enjoy during the holidays. The country's oldest department store and also the first retailer to move to Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor was also the first to create Christmas windows for "pure delight." The flagship store at Fifth Avenue and 38th Street has a hydraulic lift system that... more ›

The light, soft buttermilk biscuit has just a touch of almond flavor to it, that comes out more with each bite. It is the sturdy base which supports the other components in this dish. The sour cherry compote just blazes with flavor, tart and sweet and intoxicatingly intense. The pickled ginger barely needs to be candied at all, but the added sugar adds a nice crunch to the already crisp ginger. more ›

Last weekend, we took a cooking class taught by Chefs Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot of Ideas in Food. This was a new thing - they just announced their first round of classes last month. We took their class on Pork and Apples, but you still have time to catch their Steak and Eggs class this Saturday, and their Scallops class on October 20th. more ›

The five conceptual proposals for redeveloping Governors Island, "The Park at the Center of the World," have been floating for over a week now. Maybe you saw the technicolor article in last week's New York Magazine. Or maybe you've swooned among the large-scale paradise boards on display at the Center for Architecture. more ›

A look at some noteworthy television programs this week: more ›

Red Hook, by F. Trainer. Reminder: you can contribute photos to Gothamist by tagging them "gothamist" on Flickr, or sending them to photos(@)gothamist (dot) com. Please make sure the photos are at least 640px wide-- it's hard for us to use smaller shots! more ›

Back in October, Mayor Bloomberg said, via a conversation he had with the Daily News (which then, of course, wrote about it), that he wanted Larry Silverstein to give up his role in rebuilding the World Trade Center. Silverstein holds the lease down there, and he's been criticized for delaying the start of construction (whereas the Port Authority has been, relatively speaking, zipping along with building their new PATH station and mall). So, today, Silverstein gets his jabs in with a an editorial in the News, which recounts him trying to explain to Mayor Bloomber why thing are going so slowly and why there needs to be millions and millions of new office square feet. Here is some of it:

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Mayor Bloomberg has been very busy since winning reelection last week. He visited a number of places of worship around town to thank voters for their support. He complained about the free-meter parking on Sunday rule that went into effect yesterday. And he wrote an editorial in the Daily News to tell New Yorkers how he wants to change the way judges get elected, saying the current process "bears more of a resemblance to voting in the Soviet Union than in the United States of America." Ooh, Red Russia - that's scary, but the Mayor has something even more formidable to deal with tomorrow: What cowboy hat to wear. Watch out for the Mayor tomorrow night on CBS, as the Country Music Association Awards are being handed out at Madison Square Garden - we can only hope the CMA will dress him up like the graying cowpoke he might be. more ›

. Well, Mayor Bloomberg can chalk up this new tune to "The Result of the Weeks-Before-Election Brainstorming Session on Visionary Ideas." Senator Schumer did fault Silverstein for not being aggressive enough in getting tenants into 7 World Trade Center. more ›

Ask Metafilter is trying to get to the bottom of one of the most pressing questions of our time: is it really a bad idea to eat fish in NYC restaurants on Mondays? The quick answer appears to be "maybe"-- it depends on the quality of the restaurant. Some responses: more ›

Gawker summarizes the salient points of New York magazine's as well as the NY Times Magazine's end-of-the-year pieces (hint, the NYTM's focus, The Year in Ideas, is less NY-Y). more ›

NY Times editorial on the MTA that explains how Pataki is basically oblivious and our past three mayors have hurt the MTA. And two from the Daily News: "Cut MTA fat before raising fares" and "Smart Moves Can Cut The Budget Gap". And for ways your voice can be heard, check out the Straphangers Campaign. more ›

Chocolate Bar: Recipes and Entertaining Ideas for Living the Sweet Life , by Matt Lewis & Alison Nelson (Running Press, 2004). more ›

Steven I. Weiss, Journalist/Blogger more ›

Gothamist doesn't have many April Fool's Day stories, because, well, we're getting fooled all the time. But if you've been fooled - or fooled others - tell us in the comments. more ›

"The first night, Design for Change , will be a roundtable discussion with community advocates, developers and city representatives. The second evening, Local Voices, Global Issues, will feature renowned architect Michael Sorkin and Lebbeus Woods, will look beyond New York and discuss the boundaries of design in a glocal environment." more ›

Ambition to Burn: Jayson Blair at The New York Times
The New York Times' mea culpa about disgraced reporter Jayson Blair fascinates Gothamist with all the questions it raises, about journalism, work ethics, youth, and race. more ›