New Yorkers love their barbecue, and they're certainly not going to let a little near-record-breaking heat get between them and their meat. Throngs of sweaty 'cue lovers waited in line at the sixth annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party to get a taste of dishes served up by award-winning pitmasters from across the country including brisket, sausage and coleslaw from The Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas; pulled pork shoulder from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q......

The holy Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, adored for its succulent burgers, righteous shakes and hellish lines, will soon expand into multiple locations. Owner Danny Meyer has signed a lease for a branch at 366 Columbus Avenue (at 77th Street), the former home of New Orleans import Jacques-Imo's. The new location will be entirely indoors, enabling delicate Upper Wide Siders to do their time on line out of the elements. And two Shake Shack......

Derek Jeter discusses his new venture - a Derek Jeter-branded 24 Hour Fitness Club in the Madison Square Park area; photograph by Tien Mao From a new NYC sports club bearing his name to the last season at Yankees Stadium, Derek Jeter has a busy year ahead of him. Gothamist asked the Yankees captain about his partnership with 24 Hour Fitness to bringing 24 Hour Fitness - Derek Jeter gyms to the city and......

For just 25 cents, you finally can experience the steel-and-glass splendor of the city's first new public toilet. City officials gathered in Madison Square Park for the ceremonial first flush of the Automatic Public Toilet (APT). Almost a year after the location was announced and almost 2 years after the toilets were first previewed, Department of Transportation Commissioner Jeannette Sadik-Khan said she was "flushed with excitement in this new era...New Yorkers had their fingers......

No one knows for sure what’s to become of the future Union Square pavilion, but a strong contender for the space – formerly occupied by the shabby Luna Park – is a new restaurant helmed by Danny Meyer, who opened the Union Square Café in ’85 and whose Shake Shack in Madison Square Park is an object of obsession. Construction begins on a new pavilion this winter, but some insiders are betting Meyer wins the......

Shake Shack – that object of obsession for so many burger lovers within a 10-mile radius of Madison Square Park – reopens today for their first winter season. Gothamist commenter MaiaW articulated the passion and excitement best when we first reported the year-round Shaction last month: “OMG, OMG. Now I have absolutely NO excuse not to eat there once a week (calories shmalories). Woo hooooo!!” With typically disheartening lines stretching almost out of the......

Nine months. That's about how long pregnancies take and that's about how long it took for various agencies to coordinate bringing Manhattan its first new public bathroom. Community Board 5 approved a new, sleek glass-and-silver bathroom from Cemusa to be placed in Madison Square Park back in March and Promediacorp witnessed it being installed this morning. Of course, back in March, the NY Times reported it would be up and running by the summer,......

Yesterday was the city's day to honor and remember veterans of the U.S. armed forces. The 88th annual Veterans Day Parade started with the Eternal Light Monument Ceremony in Madison Square Park, followed by a parade up Fifth Avenue to 56th Street. An estimated 20,000 gathered for the parade, and there were veterans from World War II, Korean War, and the Iraq War. Mayor Bloomberg said, "You should know that 70 New Yorkers have given......

There's a poster of one of William Wegman's Weimaraners dressed as Macbeth hanging outside the Metropolitan Opera house at Lincoln Center. No, the upcoming production of the Verdi opera does not feature any pups - rather, Wegman created a series of photographs inspired by the Met's new season. Check out the Lucia di Lammermoor photo! The photographs, 24" by 20" Polaroids, can be purchased and proceeds will benefit the Met. Wegman's work can also......

Reader Dan got this notice from his Madison Square Park-area building:THE FAA HAS ADVISED THAT TWO (2) MILITARY F-15 AIRCRAFT WILL BE PERFORMING A FLYOVER OVER NEW YORK CITY AT 1330 HOURS ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 17TH, 2007. THE AIRCRAFT WILL FLY ALONG THE EAST RIVER AND THEN VEER OUT TO THE EAST. THIS NOTIFICATION IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS INTENDED TO ALLAY ANY CONCERNS OR FEARS OF POTENTIAL MILITARY ACTIVITY OVER NEW......

We recently got the new Creative Time book, aptly titled Creative Time: The Book. Unable to wrap our heads around what on earth The Urban Visual Recording Machine was after reading about it, surely we'd understand after getting our hands on the book where it plays the protagonist. Well, sort of. The book is essentially a look back on the group's public art projects around the city. For example, the photo at left is from......

June 7 - June 11: Broadway Panhandler "Yard Sale" Just because they don't technically have a yard in their new location won't stop Broadway Panhandler from having its annual Yard Sale, where you can find discounts of up to 75 percent off on select cooking supplies. 65 East 8th Street, 212-966-3434. June 8: Beard on Film Join directors whose films will be featured at the upcoming NYC Food Film Festival (June 14–16, 21–23, September 6–8):......

Artist Roxy Paine is installing a series of metal sculptures in Madison Square Park. Gothamist reader S.D. happened upon workers putting the pieces in place and took some pictures, one of which is shown above. If you're anywhere near 23rd St. in Manhattan, this might be an interesting thing to check out. (Steel Boulder in the Park, by S.D. at flickr)......

Between the New York Times barbecue cover story last week and the giveaway pulled pork yesterday in Madison Square Park, it would seem as though New York is going all kinds of rubbed and sauce-slathered crazy (don’t forget to free up the second week of June for the mammoth Big Apple Barbecue). While the current media blitz over toasted bones and brash pit masters inevitably continues, Gothamist would like to divert just a little of......

Community Board 5 was not able to approve a street being named after the late, great Jerry Orbach at a meeting last Thursday. However, it was able to approve putting a public toilet in Madison Square Park! The Department of Transportation, which is in charge of street furniture, wants to get approval from community boards before placing the toilets, making sure the public is potty-pleased. (Some local pols don't want any in their neighborhoods, while......

March 10: Cantina-Style: One Pot Meals Cooking Demonstration and Luncheon It's cantina time at Rosa Mexicano. Learn the ropes from Culinary Director Roberto Santibañez, as he teaches you to make cantina-style dishes including Zarzuela de Mariscos (cantina seafood stew: jumbo shrimp, clams, mussels and white fish braised with chorizo, baby artichokes and olives and served in a tomato-serrano chile broth) and Salsa en Molcajete (freshly ground roasted tomato (red) or tomatillo (green) salsa). 10:00 a.m.......

Check out this video from Kelly Loudenberg, who says: "Metropolis in Motion is holding a 24-hour Dance Marathon and Party to bring attention to the NY State Court appeal case regarding Cabaret Laws that restrict social dancing. Dance groups of various styles have been filling 90 minute timeslots since yesterday and through the night at 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue. There will be a party/rally on this morning following the Marathon from noon-2pm in......

We've been wondering about the new public toilets ever since they were previewed last year. When are they coming? And how fast will they get wrecked? The Daily Intelligencer now reports that there are some concerns about the public toilets from City Council members. Members were asked to nominated two sites for potential potties, but some aren't interested. Councilwoman Jessica Lappin who covers Midtown East and the Upper East Side, said, "There isn’t really an......

If you’ve ever tried to convince your parents that the bong they found hidden in your closet was an abstract sculpture, The Bong Show, or This Is Not a Pipe will be right up your alley. For her first curatorial project, Beverly Semmes “wondered what would happen when serious artists contemplated a culturally marginal object (a bong, for example).” Semmes’ colleagues turned in tongue-in-cheek paraphernalia—an assortment of artworks designed in various media that straddle “the......

The Reverend Al Sharpton announced the "shopping for justice" protest march he's been talking about since the shooting of Sean Bell, Joseph Guzman, and Trent Benefield by the police."Many will be shopping for trinkets and toys. We will be shopping for justice and making a moral appeal to this city and this nation. The fact that we are going on probably the most visible street in the world tomorrow, you don't have to talk......

Last night we took our final trip to Shake Shack for the season and as luck would have it, they actually ran out of burgers for the night. The manager told us that it was the first time that it's ever happened to them since they've been open. Why the burger shortage? Thursday's nice weather combined with a bad forecast today. They did have plenty of everything else though and since we already waited......

With the unseasonably mild weather we've been having, it's a great week to check out the sculptures nestled in Madison Square Park's outdoor gallery before they are taken down after the holidays. The four large scultpures, created by internationally renown Ursula von Rydingsvard, are abstract works primarily expanding upon her established vessel theme. Or, in less erudite terms, the odd-shaped wood and plastic-looking forms make for a really good excuse to take an extended......

The folks at Curbed must be really excited - the Department of Buildings has announced a new program requiring outdoor advertising to be registered first. Here's what the DoB's press release says: The new rules enhance the Department's regulatory authority over billboards and are aimed at combating the proliferation of illegal signs near the City's major arterial highways and parks. The new regulations implement provisions of Local Laws 14/2001 and 31/2005. This legislation focuses on......

Today's City section goes all Forgotten-NY on us today in an article on the city's more than 300 statues of notable figures. Specifically it talks about the statues of people who were once household names and are now... not. Roscoe Conkling, anyone? The article mostly focuses on the statues around Madison Square Park but it brings up a good point. New York City is littered with statues of people who the average New Yorker......

July 7 - 11: Fancy Food Show Every specialty food you could possibly imagine will be at the Javitz Center this week at the annual Fancy Food show. Sample some of the latest specialty products on the market and attend educational programs and seminars. Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street. $35/person before July 7, $60/person after, so buy your tickets now. July 9: Orchard Street Market Opening Welcome the new Lower East Side Greenmarket to......

Based on all the reader responses on our last Shake Shack post, we figure that the image that Adam over at A Hamburger Today found might please some of you. Adam writes:I was just on Windows Live Local, Microsoft's answer to Google Earth, and typed in "Madison Square Park" to see if there'd be a satellite image of the line at Shake Shack. There's no line in the photo because THERE'S NO SHAKE SHACK.......

It's the amazing event that pigs and cows fear most! The Big Apple BBQ Block Party took over a good part of the Madison Square Park area with ten different barbecue offerings along a few blocks on Madison Avenue and on 24th Street (we remember when it was only on East 27th!). The BBQ Block Party benefits the Madison Square Park Conservancy, and it was great to see everyone enjoying the event, from hauling......

through June 18: 1996 at Rain Rain celebrates its 10th anniversary by rolling back prices and reviving dishes from their opening year. Reminisce over Duck Fajitas, Classic Green Curry Chicken and Fried Banana Splits, and Guest also receive an additional 10% off on their next visit. Enjoy the vintage prices Monday through Friday 6:00pm-11:00pm, Saturday 5:00pm-12:00am and Sunday 5:00pm-10:00pm. 100 West 82nd Street. To make reservations please call 212-501-0776. June 8: A Taste of the......

Gothamist is getting reports from all over that the anti-war protest currently going on down Broadway is a shockingly large one. Though it is only supposed to go from Union Square down Broadway to Worth Street, we're hearing reports of protesters backing up all the way to Madison Square! Anybody got any photos? Reports? Etc.? Put 'em in the comments and we'll update this post as more info becomes available (i.e. when the rally......

On Thursday we were planning on meeting one of our pals in Gramercy for lunch, so we suggested Shake Shack. Quick as lightning came his response: "You are totally nuts if you think we can get done with Shake Shack in less than 1 1/2 hours :)" That seemed strange to us, so we did a little research, and surprisingly, his estimate seems correct-- average weekday waiting times for a burger in Madison Square......