A memo from FDNY Operations Chief Patrick McNally is instructing firefighters to conduct inspections of buildings under construction or demolition on two different timetables, depending on their height. City rules have long mandated that all buildings going up or coming down had to be inspected by the fire department every 15 days. McNally's memo now instructs firefighters to inspect buildings over 75 feet tall every 15 days, and below 75 feet tall every 30 days.......

Notwithstanding a massive steam explosion that horribly burned some New Yorkers and shut down a large section of midtown Manhattan for weeks, neighborhood blackouts that have left thousands in the dark and without air conditioning in the heat of summer, and occasional stray voltage leaks that have electrocuted people and pets, Mayor Bloomberg feels that Con Ed is doing a decent job and customers should be willing to pay extra each month to the utility.......

The Independent Budget Office of the City of New York released a five page report [pdf] yesterday projecting that beginning next year, the City will face a serious fiscal crisis when it runs a deficit of $3.1 billion. By 2011, that budget shortfall could more than double, to $6.3 billion. The projections merely take into account current trends in New York City and don't factor in the possibility of a widespread national recession. The title......

For the past few months, the Post has been detailing the problems of apartment mold at a new condo conversion - and how they have forced longtime New York City local news personality Kaity Tong out of her home. In September, Tong had been living in Gramercy Park Hotel for many weeks, as the floors and wall in her Chelsea home started to buckle, seemingly caused by the conversion of the O'Neill Building, on......

A sophomore at New York University was found dead in his Water Street dorm room on Friday night. The Washington Square News reports that other residents were told about the death on Saturday and that the university did not send out an NYU community-wide email per a request from the deceased students' parents: "The family has asked that they be accorded the utmost privacy, and the university will do its best to honor its wishes......

A long-running feud between a Bath Beach apartment building superintendent and a tenant turned violent yesterday morning. Tenant Alberto Sanchez allegedly wielded a knife at super Leoncio DeJesus, who then threw acid in Sanchez's face. The acid hit Sanchez's girlfriend, who was attempting to calm him down, as well. Sanchez had allegedly jabbed the knife towards the super, and a witness said he overheard Sanchez saying, "I am gonna kill him" yesterday morning. Another said,......

Real Estate site The Real Deal has detailed the priciest streets or micro-neighborhoods to live on in each of the five boroughs of NYC. Ironically, except for Manhattan, the most expensive streets in New York's four other boroughs lean heavily towards suburban idyll rather than luxurious urbanism. But we suppose that has always been an appeal of the outer boroughs: the ability to escape Manhattan's teeming population density. If you recently came into a large......

Development along the Hudson isn't letting up anytime soon. Now that Hudson River Park construction is well underway (and completed in some parts), proposals are being floated for refurbishing the hulking 14-acre Pier 40 terminal. The Villager has a thorough, if skewed, examination of the dualing Pier 40 visions. One, a joint venture of The Related Companies, Cirque du Soleil and the Tribeca Film Festival, calls for a Lincoln Center-style performing arts center. The......

The following is an account of what someone purchased four years ago at a stoop sale in Chelsea, for 75 cents: "In September of 2002 Warren Hill of Montreal Canada was perusing a box of records at a Chelsea, New York street sale when he happened upon a brittle 12" piece of acetone-covered aluminum with the words "Velvet Underground. 4-25-66. Att N. Dolph" written on the label. He purchased the three records for 75......

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has unanimously approved banning the use of trans fats. From Crain's:Restaurants will have until July 1, 2007, to find substitutes for oils and other trans fats used in frying and spreads. But eateries will get until July 1, 2008, to find substitutes for oils and shortenings used for deep frying baked goods.In September, the DOHMH proposed measures to decrease trans fats (Health Commissioner Tom Frieden likened them to......

In September, The Wordless Music Series had their inaugural event. It featured Nels Cline from Wilco, pianist Jenny Lin and composer/multi-instrumentalist Elliott Sharp. At first we were a bit apprehensive of a concert without any vocals whatsoever, but we're warming up to the idea (the above video helped). Pairing classical and instrumental indie-rockers in a chamber music setting is actually pretty brilliant. Tonight we'll definitely be heading over to the second show of the......

We asked our contributor, Christina Piluso, to write about her experience running in Sunday's New York City Marathon. We're very amazed and proud of her, as we are of all the other entrants. Everyone's story for preparing to run a marathon is unique. But we face the common hurdles from just getting into the famous New York City Marathon, to injuries, frustration, exhaustion and most importantly, and finally the thrill of calling yourself a marathoner.......

In September, we wrote about department store Lord & Taylor and many praised its prices and shopping environment. One passionate comment:Lord & Taylor's is fantastic. Over the past 3-4 years, they've made a great effort to stock well edited pieces from younger, trendier brands. They're like Macy's in that they always have a great sale (and bonus coupons), but it's never as crowded, loud, chaotic, or unorganized. I've never had to wait in line for......

THEATER: In September 2005, theater director Peter S. Petralia embarked on the Trans-Siberian Railway, connecting with artists from around the world for as long as the train stayed in the station. He would give them an art "package" and they, in return, would send something back to him. His collection of art objects and stories have culminated in Invisible Messages, currently running at P.S. 122 through Sunday. The multimedia work uses Petralia’s art-experiment as a......

Back during Halloween weekend in 2004, a man kidnapped a woman leaving Crobar, drove her to NJ and raped her. Police say that they captured the rapist, 22 year old Emlo Rivadeneira of Kearny, NJ. The authorities linked him to the 2004 case as well as a 2005 sexual assault on a 16 year old in NJ because of a cellphone that was dropped during another incident. In September 2004, a man grabbed a woman......

Foodies attack the silver screen! In today's Times Arts & Leisure section, the long history and current feast of food in film is given another look. Would there have even been a Big Night if not for the food? In the coming months, Russell Crowe, the first person we think of when the phrase "good taste" coming up, will star as a man who inherits a vineyard and Nora Ephron is working on an adaptation......

The Mayor of New York has always been a player on the national stage. And when it comes to political theatre, the Constitution requires that the show must go on. The right of the public to view debates and other political events is central to democracy. You have a none other than New York politicos Mario Cuomo and Ed Koch to thank when televised debates or election coverage interrupts your favorite shows. It was a......