Some good news in the ongoing saga to save 1520 Sedgwick, better known as the Birthplace of Hip Hop. Today Senator Schumer, who has been lobbying on behalf of the tenants to preserve the building's affordability, announced that "the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development rejected the proposed sale to developer Mark Karasick because current rents could not be sustained if the sale had gone through." The move doesn't insure that the building’s owner......

The city has agreed to pay $2 million to the parents of an unarmed Brooklyn teen who was fatally shot by a police officer three years ago. In January 2004, police officer Richard Neri was patrolling a Brooklyn rooftop with another officer at 1AM. Around the same time the other officer had opened a door to the stairwell, Timothy Stansbury and his friends were heading upstairs, to go to a party in another building in......

Did you ever hear the one about the vineyard in Queens, just minutes away from the Little Neck Parkway Q46 bus stop? Even if you haven’t, it’s true. First reported three years ago, the borough is finally set to prove it has terroir in spades with the imminent production of its namesake wine. The epicenter for this oenophile revolution is the Queens County Farm Museum, described on its website as “New York City's largest remaining......

Two long-festering plans could come together: Redeveloping Governor's Island and bringing car racing to NYC. The NY Sun reports that the Indy Racing League might be interested in including a Governor's Island race in its circuit. A spokesman told the Sun:"Governors Island certainly is something that has come up, but in terms of definitive plans, we still have a long way to go. We've had some discussions with people in the greater New York......

We can't figure this out! Apparently former NJ Governor James McGreevey wants custody of daughter Jacqueline AND child support from ex-wife Dina Matos. The last time we checked, McGreevey was living in a 17-room mansion with his boyfriend Mark O'Donnell, a financier. And he wrote a book that could pay some of the bills, we think. According to the Star-Ledger, Matos makes $82,000 as the executive director of the Columbus Hospital Foundation. She has over......

Mayor Bloomberg's longtime girlfriend Diana Taylor is known as the "de facto" First Lady of the city. She was recently the State Banking Superintendent, with previous stints as a VP at Keyspan and CFO of LIPA, and will be working at Wolfensohn & Company, an investment firm, in a few days. Her fashion sense has been praised in Vogue, yet she stands by her man when he wears shorts and white socks. In other words,......

Yesterday, three pedestrians were killed in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan:- At around 12 a.m, Mario Sagastume was hit by a Nissan Maxima when crossed Ashford Street near Liberty Avenue in East New York. The Maxima did not stop, though people were chasing the car. Residents mentioned that there are frequent accidents and that there should be a light at the intersection. - At 4 a.m., a 25-year-old man was killed when a van hit......

Jerry Seinfeld sure has come a long way from being a struggling stand-up comic to trying to avoid paying a real estate broker her commission! Seinfeld and his wife Jessica say that when they called their broker Tamara Cohen to see a townhouse on West 82nd Street, she didn't pick up her phone. But it turns out the Cohen is an observant Jew and was observing the Sabbath. Here are some details from the NY......

One of the wonders of a nice fir tree for the holidays is that they can stay beautiful for a while. But the bummer is getting rid of the tree. The Department of Sanitation encourages city residents to clear out their trees by mid-January, as its annual Christmas tree curbside collection starts on Friday, January 5 an runs through Tuesday, January 16. Here's how it works:Residents should remove all tree stands, tinsel, lights, and ornaments......

It's PARK(ing) Day from the Rebar group! They set up a veritable oasis at a West 30th Street and Eighth Avenue parking spot. Our friend at Transportation Alternative sent us this picture - note the high production value: Bench, trees, and three people! We're not sure if the space is still there (we heard it would be up until noon or 2PM), so if you work near there, swing by and let us know.......

Note to everyone tempted to go wild with a laser pointer: Don't - unless it's in a meeting or the privacy of your own living room. A Brooklyn teenager was arrested after shining a laser at a NYPD helicopter last night. And the pilot was momentarily blinded. The police chased Anthony Pepe through Dyker Park and finally caught up with the 19 year old, who was with some friends. Pepe was charged with reckless endangerment......

Have you noticed the sensors at certain subway stations for the MTA's "contactless payment" system? Or, are you part of the program that is actually using them? In January, the MTA announced the Lexington Line, plus Jay Street/Borough Hall A/C/F and 23rd Street Ely Avenue 2/V stops would be the pilot test stations. We wonder if the testers need the special MTA fob, plus a Metrocard, as people will probably commute outside of the......

Aw, Gary Barnett is making sure Jay-Z might still get to wear a Brooklyn Nets jersey: The rival bid from Extell for the Brooklyn railyards is offering a compromise to give Bruce Ratner's team a chance to build the Nets arena if the Extell plan (a considerably less extensive complex) can get built. The NY Times reports that Extell would sell the arena land to Ratner if the Extell bid wins, which is a nice......

Despite Monday night's blustery conditions, Gothamist stopped by the Beauty Bar Monday night for the The LVHRD Organization's Science & Beauty Pre-Party, where creatives dressed in lab coats stood sipping beers while waiting for manicures. In January, The LVHRD Foundation hosted the Master-Disaster Architect Duel and in two weeks, on March 14th, will stage the "Science vs. Beauty: Battle of the Minds" at an as-of-yet undisclosed location. Aimed at joining together creative minds, leaders, and......

In January 2003, Gothamist was fascinated by a murder on Orchard Street. A young man, about to start a job as a banker the next week, was shot in front of his sister's apartment, at 75-79 Orchard Street, between Grand and Broome. Then it seemed his friend might be involved, because the friend refused to cooperate with the police, but then the friend did - a sketch was released and apparently the victim, Burke O'Brien......