Looking back over 2011 this week—from the natural disasters to girl walk all day to the tasty food trends, from the cycling wars to the viral subway videos to all the adorable animal stories—we came across a ton of very popular, only-in-NYC type stories that have provoked discussion many an internet argument. 2011 was the year the Rapture didn't happen (twice), the year we attended a 9/11 Truther conference, and the year we opened the floodgates to the Ron Paul Nation. Click through to check out some of our most memorable, bizarre stories. more ›

Just as Harold Camping predicted, the Rapture arrived today "very, very quietly"—but it seems Camping left out the part where it left just as quietly, leaving no trace of it ever having been here to begin with. Yes, for the second time this year, Camping's doomsday prediction turned out to be a big tease. Barring any unforeseen cataclysmic global events, we think we can chalk this Judgment Day up as a bust. Somebody really needs to tell El Bloombito: "Los occupadoros at @OccupyWallStNYC should vamos out of el zuccotti parko por que Harold Camping dice el rapturo es coming! Cuidado!" more ›

According to debunked doomsday prognosticator Harold Camping, tomorrow is the Rapture...again. Camping knows you doubt him, since no heathens burst into flames in 1994 or on May 21, which was his last prediction for Judgment Day 2011: Turn Off The Dark. But Camping assures that it'll happen this time—albeit "very very quietly," perhaps SO quietly you don't even notice anything happened at all. But instead of viewing all this cynically, maybe there's a half-glass-full way to appreciate our impending doom; after all, how many times in one life can you say for sure you know you only have one day to live? more ›

This week, debunked doomsday prognosticator Harold Camping popped up from suspended animation to remind us that the Rapture was coming on October 21 (only 7 days left!). But in this thoroughly depressing picture above, it seems that Judgment Day has come early for noted Christian evangelist Kirk Cameron. The Left Behind auteur turned 41 on Wednesday—but it seems all his candles have ascended to the heavens...along with drinks...and anything resembling joy. more ›

We've all become so enraptured with Occupy Wall Street and Beyonce's baby bump conspiracy that we've lost track of the most important non-news story of the year: our impending doom! But fresh off a stroke, debunked doomsday prognosticator Harold Camping is back to remind us that Judgment Day 2011: I Know What You Raptured Last Spring is only nine days away on October 21st. Since there are no billboards or Rapture mobiles to guide us this time, let's get all the lowdown straight from the Rapturologist's mouth. more ›

It was only three weeks ago that Judgment Day came a-knockin', the righteous ascended to the heavens, and the rest of us were forced to contemplate our last months on Earth. Who would have thought hell would be filled with so many topless photos of Anthony Weiner! Except, of course, none of that came to be (except for the Weiner junk), and we're all still here. Now, Rapturologist Harold Camping has been struck with a decidedly earthbound ailment: Camping has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke on Thursday night. more ›

Yesterday, even as frogs weren't raining from the heavens, locusts weren't swarming the subways, and earthquakes weren't sending cities crashing into the oceans, we still held out a little hope that we'd wake up to some sort of biblical fury today. Maybe just a little pestilence? Alas, the Apocalypse was a no-show yet again, leaving only sad, confused believers to be mocked in Times Square: "I don't understand why nothing is happening. It's not a mistake. I did what I had to do. I did what the Bible said," said an exasperated Robert Fitzpatrick, the retired MTA worker who spent all of his money to publicize Judgment Day, at 6 p.m. in Times Square yesterday, as onlookers laughed at him. Watch a sad video of the confrontation below: more ›

Unless we've misunderstood the utterly convoluted biblical logic of Harold Camping's Judgment Day prophecy, we're pretty sure we won! Or, we've all been left behind. Regardless, there haven't been any more reports of earthquakes, so we feel pretty comfortable calling this one a win for non-cultists. Which means it's time for us all to face a much more realistic horror: Monday morning. more ›

This morning Jim Carrey, who has been in town lately—though it's unclear what for—took a photo from his window in Manhattan and Tweeted: "If by apocalypse they meant sunny and warm with a high of 73 degrees, then they were right, THIS IS THE END!!!" But at the top right of the photo you might notice something that looks like... an angel? A saved person being floated to Heaven early? Even Carrey Tweeted that "someone pointed out an angel on a rooftop." We've highlighted it in the image above—and when you spot a True Christian being lifted up in a beam of sunshine towards the clouds, don't forget to send us your photos! more ›

According to Family Radio preacher/rambler Harold Camping, the Apocalypse is due to start tomorrow at 6 p.m. standard time in every time zone around the world (most likely with an earthquake). And as you might imagine, people are preparing for it in all the ridiculous and amusing ways you could hope for...after all, when else will you get to use those Rapture pick-up lines you've been saving up? more ›

We're now less than 54 hours away from Doomsday 2011: Get Judged Or Get Out! You've heard the prophecy of Family Radio preacher Harold Camping, you've seen the billboards and the caravans across town heralding the end of the world come May 21st—but have you actually started preparing for the Rapture? more ›

An army of Christians have been sounding off about the End of Days lately (according to them, it's this Saturday May 21st... however, according to Buffy The Vampire Slayer, there's an apocalypse at least once a television season). Anyway, you've seen the subway posters and billboards... but have you made plans yet? Because Judgment Day is nearly upon us, and you don't want to be stuck at home eating leftovers. Here are our top five picks on where to watch in New York, and don't forget to send us your photos of true Christians floating to heaven (or tag them "Gothamist" on Flickr!). more ›

We've been seeing doomsday vehicles and end-of-days billboards all over the city for the last week, and now we know why: the minions of Family Radio have been going from city-to-city to spread their message of doom via Project Caravan, and from May 11-15, it's our turn to be saturated with their Judgment Day prophecy. Just yesterday, we saw four of them slowly crawling down the West Side Highway, like a family of apocalyptic lemmings! more ›

As if we needed any more reminders that the Apocalypse is only nine days away since we saw that terrifying billboard hovering over the BQE last week, the End Times have been spotted cruising around Manhattan today. Reddit users have spotted the giant trucks (including the above left, which is from 48th and 6th), promoting the "awesome news" that the end of the world will be here in just a week from Saturday...on the same day that Chelsea Handler comes into town. Could it really just be a coincidence? more ›

In the pantheon of controversial billboards, there seem to be a few which are very good at rattling people into hysterics, from ones which are adamantly anti-abortion, to the pro-atheist signs, to the Calvin Klein orgies. And then there are the Apocalyptic billboards, which have been springing up across the country all year in anticipation of Judgment Day. And now, one of these specters of the End Times is hovering over the BQE. more ›