Days after announcing that subway ridership was at its highest levels since 1965, NYC Transit has revealed that in January ridership declined for the first time in years. Over the weekend, the MTA reported a 3.9 percent subway ridership increase in 2008, compared to the previous year. Now the AP has learned that in the first month of 2009, average weekday subway ridership plummeted 2 percent, compared to January '08. Transit officials insist they're not bipolar, and blame the abrupt decline on the increasing numbers of unemployed people who simply have nowhere to take the subway to. The news is doubly foreboding because it means less revenue for the MTA and a justification to cut back on service. Also worrying transit officials is the downward spiral in real-estate tax revenues, which are $75 million below already lowered projections. We could go on with the depressing news, but wouldn't you rather watch this video of a really freaky dust storm in Australia? more ›

On the heels of Florent's closure comes news that another one of the Meatpacking District’s pre-millennial hang-outs will walk the plank: The Hog Pit, a Southern dive bar and BBQ joint that opened in the late '90s, is the latest casualty of the neighborhood’s astronomical rent increases. Co-owner Felisa Dell sent an email to Eater today confirming the closure, which was brought on by a triple rent increase to 40K per month. more ›