Main St. v. Wall St.! Some New Yorkers are up in arms upon finding out that Citigroup and Goldman Sachs have received numerous doses of the much-coveted H1N1 vaccine. The two banks each received a several hundred doses for at-risk employees (pregnant women, etc...), but the city's Health Department has had to explain themselves to citizens who believe companies shouldn't get preferential treatment over people waiting in line for the vaccine. "Wall Street banks have already taken so much from us," union official John VanDeventer wrote on the Service Employees International Union website, "But they should not be allowed to take away our health and well-being." more ›

Who needs Astroland? The folks in Coney Island can make their own fun with a simple piece of rope. Yesterday current and former Wall Street "Masters of the Universe" faced off against a team of regular Joes (many of whom lost their jobs and life savings in the financial crisis) during The Great Coney Island Tug of War. Before the showdown Wall Streeter Hunter Smith taunted "I'm going to derivatize their asses!" A plumber on the Main Street side countered with "I'm going to lay some pipe on their asses!" Sadly there was no Thor Equities vs. Locals fight, but there were many other pairings; other match-ups included firefighters vs. police officers, boyfriend vs. girlfriend, Brooklyn vs. Scotland, and more. more ›

The Atlantic is asking if today's McMansions are tomorrow's tenements in an article titled The Next Slum. It seems suburban developments nationwide are seeing the same problems the city streets are: druggies, homeless, grafitti, gang activity, broken windows, stray bullets, and even in Pleasantville copper wire is a commodity. more ›

Anyone who’s ever gotten off the 7 train in Flushing and walked to the Queens Botanical Garden knows that the majority of the area’s Chinese eateries and businesses are clustered around the northern end of Main Street. As you move further south, Indian sari shops, chaat houses and grocery stores start to appear. But lately a handful of Chinese restaurants have elbowed into the southern end; one such newcomer is Oriental Express Food Garden, which took over the old Rajbhog Sweets‎ space. more ›

Gothamist has dined in all kinds of joints in Flushing’s Chinatown – killer Cantonese, top-flight dim sum and lamb-laden Northern Chinese. The area we haven’t explored much is the food courts, mazes of stalls so diverse that Tony Bourdain could easily cull material for an episode or two. It’s not that we are squeamish, it’s just that the signs are all in Chinese and many of the proprietors speak little English. A non-Chinese speaker would need a Rosetta Stone of sorts. more ›

It's official. Today the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate DUMBO a historic district, pending City Council approval. more ›

The other night we found ourselves craving shwarma as we strolled the stretch of Flushing’s Main Street that’s home to kosher groceries and dairy restaurants. As Gothamist approached Pita Hot, with visions of rotating meat dancing wildly in our head, we noticed an orange storefront out of the corner of our eye. Next to the utilitarian space that’s home to some of the borough’s best shwarma was a joint with a day-glo orange sign that... more ›

Looks like complaining about crowded trains on the MTA's Rider Report Cards works - the MTA announced it will increase service on the 7 and L subway lines. more ›

A reader sent us this horrible but all-too-familiar story:

I was on the 7 train riding from Flushing Main Street when a man sat across from me (a few stops before 82nd street Jackson Heights he got on) with a newspaper on his lap pretending to be sleeping. I glanced over and to my horror all his goods were in plain view. I did not react and I pulled out my cell phone and took a picture of him. He got really nervous and was rustling around; I then proceeded to call 911 as I was still sitting across from him and was giving a description of him as I was looking right at him. He got nervous and got off at the next stop which was 82nd Street-Jackson Heights. more ›

The NYC Transit Authority may not be able to figure out which subway stations to paint after more than seven months, but it's taken only two months to launch the report card initiative! Back in May, NYCTA president Howard Roberts Jr. said that he wanted to know what subway and bus riders thought of their respective lines and announced that the 7 line's straphangers would get first crack at filling out report cards. more ›

Korean fried chicken has been on the radar of Manhattan foodies for quite some time, thanks to Koreatown's Bon Chon. But nowhere else in our fair city has this highly cravable treat spread its wings so rapidly as in Flushing, particularly around Northern Boulevard in the 150s and 160s. The number of restaurants in the nabe serving this delicacy invites comparison to the growth of Starbucks, but in a better, less evil way. There are at least a half-dozen spots, including a branch of Bon Chon. All sport eye-catching logos that emblazon both the walls and the stylish takeout bags, which impart the vibe of having visited a fried-chicken boutique. Given the exquisite taste of Korean fried chicken, we find such highfalutin packaging appropriate. more ›

TONY blog has a report on the most endangered sites in the world. The World Monuments Fund released its 2008 list yesterday, which is packed with far off places. more ›

There have been murmurs of Galapagos moving from its current space for a while now. The Burg even did an entire episode about saving it. From that show: more ›

Yesterday morning, a group of teens got into a fight that left two wounded at the Main Street 7 station in Flushing. The fight started on the street, but it moved into the station, where the teens used knives and bottles. As many as 6-12 people may have been involved, and 14 year old Eric Valasquez was charged with stabbing a 17 year old in the chest and a 19 year old in the back. The police say his case will probably be handled by family court. more ›

Remember yesterday's story about the DUMBO man whose car was ticketed and towed on a street where a "No Parking" sign magically appeared? And the Department of Transportation said that parking was allowed on that stretch of Front Street, so they would help David Bourgeois get his ticket dismissed? Well, now the DOT tells the Daily News that the agency DID put up the sign and therefore, Bourgeois will have to pay the ticket and tow fee - a total of $265! Apparently Front Street between Washington and Main Street used to have a "No Parking" sign, but it disappaered a few months ago. And it seems like NYC drivers, being NYC drivers, took advantage of this and parked to their heart's content. Then the sign came back, and boom - the law stepped in. more ›

-Hylan Boulevard Looking at the MTA's site, it's pretty cool that the MTA is taking other bus systems around the world into consideration - and we love any plan that wants better bus boarding! more ›

We passed a storefront on West 3rd Street between McDougal and 6th Avenue last night -- a huge reprint of this New York Times review was posted in the window, which led us to one conclusion. Seems like there will be bing in the 'hood in the not-too-distant future. Before we read the article, we had no idea what a bing was either, but upon further investigation, we discovered that a bing is a "hot pocket" of sorts -- fillings ranging from spicy pork to pickled vegetables enrobed in a flaky pastry crust. The original Unique Pastry, in Flushing, offers 17 varieties, each for a mere $1-$1.50. Although we haven't yet tried a bing, we are pretty excited about the prospect of having one nearby -- both based on Peter Meehan's review and the buzz from the Chowhounds. more ›

Kate Wood, executive director, LANDMARK WEST! more ›

Sundance is definitely in full swing - you can tell by all the blurry-eyed revelers wandering up and down Main Street. We're trying to make all the rounds, but it's difficult because we actually have paying work to do at the festival. more ›

Bubby's Pie Co. presents the first annual Brooklyn Pie Social, to be held on Main Street in Brooklyn (near the entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park) this Sunday, September 12 at noon. more ›

Nicole Beland, Writer/Girl Next Door more ›

Check out Tien's Nostalgia Train to the Bronx. Gothamist on the subway's centennial more ›

It's only two days into the Chinese New Year, so here's some more information on the festivities in the city from NYC Visit. The Post looks at places to eat and shop in the Chinatowns of Manhattan, Queens (Flushing) and Brooklyn (Sunset Park). Some of their picks: Gum Fung (Main Street and 39th Avenue) for food and Flushing Mall (39th Avenue and College Point Boulevard) in Queens; Jade Plaza (6022 Eighth Avenue at 61st Street, [718] 492-6888) for food and Tien Lung Aquarium (5822 Eighth Ave., at 58th Street) in Brooklyn; and Mandarin Court (61 Mott Street between Bayard and Canal streets) for food and Great Wall of China (277 Canal St., between Broadway and Lafayette Street) in Manhattan. Citysearch has suggestions as well, including tomorrow's parade. Perhaps Gothamist will see you there, in the middle of the dragon dances. more ›