Could a little bit of Sin City be heading to New York? Or will we hear refrains of "Drill, baby, drill?" more ›

While New York's same-sex couples prepare for their big day, the MMA community will have to wait for the next legislative session for any hope that their sport of kings will be legalized. Earlier this month Speaker Sheldon Silver doused any hopes for legalization, despite the bill passing the Senate and speeding through the Assembly's various committees. "It's a promotion of violence at a time when we're trying to eliminate violence," Assemblyman Rob Reilly tells the Times, making us wonder if he's suggesting for supporters to wait until violence is back in season. How much longer must New Yorkers wait to feel the joy that only comes with watching a grown man do a cartwheel into another man's face? more ›

The United States Postal Service released new Forever stamps featuring the Statue of Liberty and the American flag last December. The only thing: It's not the Statue of Liberty in the New York Harbor—it's the Statue of Liberty at the New York New York Hotel in Las Vegas. Luck be a lady? more ›

2011 has only just begun, but we've already found the best lawsuit of the year: NYC college student Hubert Blackman recently filed a $1.8 million claim against a Las Vegas escort service because his stripper didn't stay to cuddle with him. And because he now needs medical treatment for a mental condition related to the "tragic" incident. more ›

It's a sad day for the NY Post—and, by extension, all of us—because the tabloid regretfully reports that "the cameras weren't rolling at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino last September, when, according to court documents, Lauren Goldfarb, of Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, 'viciously, maliciously, willfully and wantonly' pounded on Marine Park stunner" Kristin DiPierro, 26. It's clearly a lost opportunity for DiPierro as well, because she, along with her sister Colette, have reportedly put an ad on the site Reality Wanted, informing the world that they would like to be cast in a reality TV show "along the lines of the Kardashians or 'Pretty Wild.' " Incidentally, you may recall Colette from such tabloid sensations as Jilted Fiancée Sues to Get His $17,500 Diamond Engagement Ring Back. Talent runs in the family! more ›

Remember all those kids from your rival college whom you made fun of by saying some day they'd bag your groceries? Well, they may be closer to fame and riches than you will ever be. The new movie Ready, Set, Bag follows eight state champions as they train for the National Grocers Association's Best Bagger competition in Las Vegas. But as D'Agostino champion bagger Acola Pointer knows, bagging is an art. more ›

“I miss the way [Di Fara] used to be before all the hype occurred,” said Dominick DeMarco Jr., son of pizza mecca Di Fara founder Dominick DeMarco. So to get away from all the glitz and glamor of Midwood, DeMarco Jr. has decided to open his own pizza shop in a quiet town called Las Vegas. more ›

Marquee thinks the AMC cinema chain is going to tarnish their image—which allegedly didn't get tarnished during the whole abduction and rape thing? Or anytime before that just for being, you know, Marquee? Anyway, according to the NY Post, the nightclub isn't too keen on the chain using their name for their new Las Vegas restaurant, which will serve not-so-fabulous foods like hot dogs and breakfast. more ›

The city has spent $12.3 million to spruce up its Marriage Bureau and move it out of its drab old home in the Municipal Building by City Hall, all in an attempt to compete with Vegas as "the wedding destination of the world." That necessitated hiring designer Jamie Drake, who handled Mayor Bloomberg’s Upper East Side town house, to transform an old DMV office up the street into a peach and lavender connubial oasis. more ›

Who knew the word "plaza" would come to be so coveted? After a three week trial, a jury has ruled that the low-budget downtown Vegas Plaza Hotel and Casino has not adequately protected its trademark, clearing the way for the El-Ad Group, the owners of the Plaza Hotel in New York, to build a $5 billion, seven-tower, 6,700-unit "Plaza Hotel and Casino" on the Strip. The jury ruled that the Vegas Plaza had simply gone by too many names over the years, including the Union Plaza and Jackie Gaughan’s Plaza Downtown. A lawyer for the Vegas owners tells the Times, "We’re somewhat stunned and in disbelief." And with good reason; is El-Ad seriously going to roll the dice on a multi-billion dollar hotel resort hotel development at this particular time? more ›

Clams: We were going to shows on a regular basis and after a while I found myself coming up with ideas for acts...but I'm really shy in real life, so I didn't think it was something I'd ever do. Just for fun, I took a class with Jo Boobs, who put me in her show, Paperback Burlesque at the Cutting Room...and I've been hooked ever since. more ›

In an echo of its 2006 article about her Senate re-election campaign spending, the NY Times finds Hillary Clinton donors are concerned over her campaign's spending. Some of the line items that emerged after her campaign finance report was published: $100,000 in party platters and shovels for Iowa caucus parties (where Clinton placed third - and where it did not snow), $25,000 in hotel rooms at Las Vegas' Bellagio, $275,000 to a South Carolina firm "that was supposed to turn out black voters for her" (Barack Obama won SC by almost 30%) and $267,000 for adviser Howard Wolfson's January fee. more ›

Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, and some young constituents, unveiled two new 10-ton fish tanks at the St. George ferry terminal. Molinaro said the tanks will liven up people's commutes; in July, he told the Advance, "It's very soothing because we live on an Island and it's very pleasant, so it fits perfectly." more ›

We already covered the Super Bowl half time show alternatives, but what if you're not a football fan or your team didn’t make it? What if you don’t want to sit through a football game to watch commercials or if you hate Joe Buck and Troy Aikman? Well, don’t worry, there are some television alternatives for you if you don’t want to watch either the game or the countless hours of pre-game shows. more ›

With the South Carolina's Democratic primary on this coming Saturday, the three leading Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards gathered together at a Martin Luther King Day Jr. debate in Columbia, S.C. When Clinton addressed the crowd, she said, "We have come so far together. Barack Obama, an extraordinary, young African-American man with so much to contribute. John Edwards, a son of the South — in fact, a son of South Carolina. And a woman — all of us running for president of the United States of America!” more ›

Even while targeted in the Troopergate scandal, State Senate leader Joseph Bruno was living in high style. The New York Sun is reporting that Bruno enjoyed a 3,500 square foot, two-story penthouse suite at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, just weeks before the legislature selected the hotel chain to construct a luxury hotel in Albany.

On November 30, the nine-member board of the Albany Convention Center Authority, which includes a member appointed by Mr. Bruno, voted to begin negotiations with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, of which Sheraton is a subsidiary, as operator of a 400-room hotel to be built in downtown Albany near the senate leader's district. more ›

Uh oh - there's definitely a little drama for five well-known performers as the Albany DA's office continues its probe into steroid trafficking. The Times Union reported yesterday that Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Timbaland, Wyclef Jean and Tyler Perry were "among the thousands of customers of the pharmacies" DA David Soares' office has investigated. more ›

You will never find Chef Bobby Flay too far away from an ancho chili pepper. Back in 1991, he opened Mesa Grill in New York, his shrine to the Southwestern flavors for which he is now famous around the world. In 1992, Mesa Grill won New York Magazine's Best New Restaurant, and the following year, Flay was given the James Beard Rising Star Chef award. Since then, he has created a mini-empire of six restaurants, including two other Mesa Grills, one in Las Vegas and another in the Bahamas. more ›

Tim Russert has invited all the presidential candidates to appear on Meet the Press, and yesterday former Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared. We imagine many New Yorkers watching the program gnashed their teeth and/or swore at the TV (we happened to do both), as Giuliani tried to answer questions ranging from the straightforward (Giuliani's Iowa poll numbers, Russert asked, "Fifth place, is that a problem?") to the interesting (Russert on Giuliani's consulting business: "A Las... more ›

Elizabeth Currid's new book, The Warhol Economy: How Fashion, Art, and Music Drive New York City, posits that the city's culture is the key our fiscal well-being. With insights culled from many of New York's leading players in the worlds of art, fashion and music, she draws a detailed blueprint of how these creative processes become big-money industries. Currid's thesis is that the conditions that have made New York one of the cultural capitals of... more ›

Things were feisty during last night's Democratic debate in Las Vegas. The big story is how frontrunner Senator Hillary Clinton seemed to hold her ground by going on the attack. The NY Times said she "shifted to a much more assertive tone" and even the NY Post thinks she won the debate, though not by a knockout. During the October 31 debate, Clinton stumbled while trying to explain her support-nonsupport of Governor Spitzer's driver's... more ›

The Mermaid Inn, that inviting East Village bistro beloved for its rich seafood entrees, has moved on up to the west side with a mostly new menu. Their second Manhattan outpost is appointed with old nautical maps, dark wainscoting and roll-up doors that will surely suck in the crowds during warmer months. (Alec Baldwin must be pleased about the eatery boosting Amsterdam Avenue’s cachet.) The Inn’s famous lobster sandwich survived the move, but there’s now... more ›

Cops are now searching for the three gunman who apparently killed a New Jersey man by accident during a Friday night Flatiron poker club robbery. Fifty-five-year-old Frank Desena was declared dead at St. Vincent's Hospital shortly after he was shot in the abdomen during the robbery. Initial reports said that Desena was shot when one of the gunmen was picking up his sawed-off shotgun, which he'd dropped. Today, the New York Post is saying that Desena was shot by the gunman's pistol, which he fired when picking up the shotgun. more ›

One of the city's biggest industries is the tourism, and the city announced a major push to keep the tourists coming in. Mayor Bloomberg and other officials kicked off the " first-ever global multimedia communications campaign to promote New York City." An advertising campaign titled "This is New York City" will features outdoor posters, internet advertising and a TV spot. Plus, the NYCVisit website features ways for visitors to plan their trip. more ›

What is the lawsuit about, Kenneth? more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

After several months of playing massive festivals around the world, The original blog-band returns home. And you know, just because blogs don't follow these fellas' every move anymore doesn't mean that the DIY posterboys aren't still out there selling out clubs and supporting their sophomore album. They played a few local shows this week and their ever-improving live act was tight and on point at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and Gramercy Theater (where Natalie Portman turned up to catch their set). These two shows kick off a good old fashioned cross-country club tour with Elvis Perkins and Deerland, which will wind back up here for 2 more sold out concerts at Bowery and Studio B in November. While they stuck to a set of already released songs this week, we hope maybe we'll hear reports of some new songs on this tour. Seems like they’re about due. We shall see. (pic via Tomiffy's flickr) more ›

We’re not going to spend this space waxing poetic about the farewell to summer and how sad we all are to say goodbye. Folks tend to be so negative on Labor Day – it’s not like the summer immediately ends on the 4th of September. But if this “impending doomsday to summer” is enough to get people to party like they mean it, then we fully support the cause. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A train derailed on Otto Rd. in Queens, a stabbing at Rockaway Blvd. and Broadway in Brooklyn, and a sexual assault at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn.
• Visitors to the New York-New York hotel-casino in Las Vegas got an extra dose of big city verisimilitude last night, when shots rang out in the casino's mezzanine. Three people were struck, but none were seriously injured before the gunman was tackled.
• 20 newspapers around the country received letters postmarked from Queens and the Bronx that threatened investment firm Goldman Sachs. "Hundreds will die. We are inside. You cannot stop us."
• State Senator Marty Golden is proposing extending the Shore Parkway bike path over the Verrazano Bridge to Staten Island. Currently, Brooklyn riders who'd like to pedal around Staten Island have to cross the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan and then take the Staten Island Ferry.
• AM New York lists a variety of businesses around New York that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including gyms, restaurants, spas, and the 5th Ave. Apple store.
• The New York Times reports on either one of the first, or the first Mr. Softee truck drivers ticketed under a new anti-noise ordinance for playing his jingle while parked at a curbside in Fort Totten, Queens.
• A six-month-old golden retriever puppy woke its sleeping owner by barking, alerting the man that his home was on fire after it got struck by lightning Thursday night in Garrison, a small town north of the city. The puppy named Ranger died in the fire after becoming lost in the smoke and flames, but he wound up saving the life of Richard Shafran, who escaped the burning home in time.
• A man is suing New York City after he was wrongfully imprisoned for 22 years after being convicted of rape. Alan Newton repeatedly asked for a review of DNA evidence from his alleged victim's rape kit, but was incorrectly told that the evidence had been lost, after the police conducted only a quick and cursory search for the exonerating items.

June 7 - June 11: Broadway Panhandler "Yard Sale" more ›