After Wednesday's drenching that caused the subways to melt down, terrible flooding, and sewage to back up into streets and into homes, officials are creating task forces for review what the hell is going on. But the sad truth is that NYC's drainage systems are complicated. The NY Times has a fascinating and frightening (if the ideas of lots of sewage frightens you) article that looks at the dirty secret of NYC's storm water drainage system. more ›

The gang at Flatbush Farm hosts a barbecue the last weekend of every month, including this one. Feast on grilled clams, barbecued chicken legs and ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, veggie chili and more. 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 76 Saint Marks Avenue, Brooklyn. Call 718-622-3276 for details. more ›

- Is New York going to go the way of LA with posted letter grades for restaurant health inspections? more ›

DISCUSSION: Is New York losing it's New York charm? Tonight contributors to the new tome "The Suburbanization of New York" will talk about just that (and is conveniently located down the street from H&M and Pottery Barn). The panel includes Marshall Berman, Eric Darton, Francis Morrone, Matthew Schuerman, Neil Smith, Michael Sorkin, and Suzanne Wasserman. more ›

San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer poses a heated question to his readers: Is New York better than San Francisco? His thoughts on the matter are clear:

I've been asked the question of which is better many times, and I have a stock answer. Because of its size New York has more to offer, but if we viewed things on a per capita basis, San Francisco would blow the Big Apple to bits. more ›

- The MTA/TWU discussions kinda continue, with the TWU now threatening to take its pension concerns to the courts. more ›

- Remember, it's daylight savings time this weekend, so we FALL back more ›

How do you stay safe? We think that McGruff the Crime Dog's tips for safety for women actually have great application to mean. The "scary NY" (think dirtier, grittier) is the New York seen in Midnight Cowboy, Panic in Needle Park, Serpico or Crocodile Dundee. And those who think that Sex and the City is NYC: In one episode, Carrie was mugged for her purse and shoes. For more "scary" city stories, check the archives of Scary NY. People - just because you have a cellphone doesn't mean you're safe. And our own Laren teaches a self defense class at Prepare and reminds us that there's an open house/graduation on Tuesday, 8:00 pm at 147 W. 25th St. (between 6th & 7th Avenues). Another new resource for getting home safe is Right Rides. more ›

There's a fine site dedicated to the Czech-born Sasek (he worked in Munich but traveled around the world) This is M. Sasek, that's loaded with information. That's where we learned about this "This Is..." books about other cities, like Paris, London, Hong Kong and Venice - plus the other American cities, San Francisco and D.C.. Only This Is New York and This Is San Francisco have been reprinted, but many are at libraries. more ›