Earlier this week, police found the naked body of Nina Rivera under a pile of leaves in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. An autopsy revealed that Rivera had been strangled to death, and police are investigating the homicide. Rivera, who will be buried by family tomorrow, had undergone a very tough life, which included four strokes, the most recent of which left her partially paralyzed. Although doctor's said she wouldn't be able to have kids with her condition, she was able to raise a 6-year-old son. "In spite of all the conditions she had, she was so strong - her heart, her mind. This is a young lady who suffered from medical issues her whole life, and for her to go this way is just horrific," said her aunt Evelyn Rivera. more ›

On Wednesday, police found the body of a nude woman in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. Although initial reports suggested the woman may have been emotionally disturbed, last night police announced that they were treating Nina Rivera's death as a homicide. more ›

Late New York composer and Broadway writer Richard Rodgers became world-renowned, but as The NY Post notes, "never forgot his Harlem roots." Yesterday his family donated $1 million to restore the neglected bandshell at Marcus Garvey Park, and as Bloomberg reminded everyone at a press conference--Rodgers also donated the original funds (to the tune of $150,000) to build the facility in 1970. The city has also put forth $4 million towards the renovation, which will begin in the Fall of 2009. When complete the new bandshell will feature improved acoustics, new seats, wheelchair accessible sections and a new name: The Richard Rodgers Bandshell. more ›

The city's shocking sidewalks strike again! An Upper West Side pup was electrocuted Thursday during a late night walk on 72nd and Amsterdam. This has happened too many times over the past few years, more recently to a NY Post reporter's dog in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, who died from the shock. more ›

An illegal restaurant may have been the cause of a gas leak that caused a Manhattan apartment building to explode, injuring 20 people late yesterday afternoon. Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said a gas leak caused a flash fire that blew out the walls of several apartments in the 20-unit building. Five people suffered serious burns and one firefighter was injured by falling debris while on the scene. Another firefighter was also hurt. Four of the burn victims were children. Investigators are uncertain of the source of the leak, but neighbors said one of the apartments housed an unlicensed takeout restaurant that served taxi drivers in the neighborhood. more ›

An explosion occurred at building on West 119th Street, right off Fifth Avenue and just south of Marcus Garvey Park, around 4PM. Several people were injured - WCBS 2 says that the injured include two babies and a firefighter who was helping people out of the building. Also: "Firefighters on the scene removed pieces of debris from the building's first floor while residents were being treated on stretchers on the street." more ›

MUSIC: Scottish indie sensations Camera Obscura bring their pop and their rock to the Seaport tonight. They're joined by The Last Town Chorus. After that, there's only one more show down there this season! more ›

A NY Post reporter is the latest to cover a dog being killed by a Con Ed shock. This time the dog, Mushy, was her own. more ›

MOVIE: Get a little more in depth on the whole border crossing controversy with Woodstock in the more ›

On average, the warmest days of the year occur in the third week of July. From the 20th to the 22nd mean high temperatures are 85 degrees and the average low is 70. Starting tomorrow we are going to be well above those temperatures for several days, if not at least a week. Today’s cloud cover, and possible rain shower later in the day, will hold our temperatures down to the mid-80s. The clouds will mostly disappear tomorrow, leaving the sun to its own devices and heating us up to 90. more ›

This past February Mayor Bloomberg announced an expansion of the city's five-year housing plan to a ten-year plan that will create and preserve 165,000 units of affordable housing by the end of 2013. The two lead agencies in the housing initiative are the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Recently, Gothamist had the opportunity to take a walking tour of the neighborhood around Marcus Garvey Park led by HDC's Aaron Donovan, who also publishes Starts and Fits. In addition to showing us HDC buildings, Aaron also pointed out several notable market-rate developments in the neighborhood as well as new commercial buildings. (Disclosure: Gothamist lives in an HDC-financed building that was mentioned on the tour.) more ›

Joe Schumacher almost got an answer to the age old question "Why does the chicken cross the road?" but, unfortunately, a vehicle seemed to have gotten in the way at the northeast corner of Marcus Garvey Park. We can only assume the chicken was on the lam from a cockfighting ring or on its way to play some tic-tac-toe. RIP, unknown chicken, but you also remind us of the Cibo Matto song, Chicken. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe kicked off the city's public pool season by taking a dip in Marcus Garvey Park. Gothamist thanks Hizzoner and his handlers for deciding he should keep his shirt on. The same cannot be said for Commissioner Benepe. more ›