As part of a worldwide candlelight vigil tonight honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., Riverside Church in Morningside Heights is hosting performances by Patti Smith, Steve Earle, Stephan Said, Kozza Olantunji Babumba, and will include "inspirational words" from Yoko Ono, Russell Simmons, and Norman Siegel. The event, as envisioned by Stephan Said, begins at 7:00 p.m. as the protesters amass outside the church. The performances begin at 8:00 p.m. in the nave. more ›

Few muggers posses the sophisticated refinement to appreciate the finer things in life: a nice bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a Whole Body Robotic Massage Chair from Sharper Image, and the latest version of whatever iPhone has been bestowned upon the unworthy masses (preferably the white one). So it's nice to know there's at least one discerning thief out there showing a little class. Police tell DNAinfo there's a cell phone robber targeting people in the neighborhood around Columbia University, and if he tries to rob you, don't even think about handing over your vulgar BlackBerry. more ›

Per an official decree, English-speaking Catholics will now recite certain portions of the mass that are closer to the original Latin translation, in the most earth-shattering changes to Mass since its English translation more than 40 years ago. Some are upset because the translation was meant to fulfill the goal of a more "shared liturgy" with other Christian denominations. Plus, it kind of snaps you out of your peaceful trance when the same thing you've been incanting for four decades is changed. But according to the Times, Corpus Christi Church in Morningside Heights has been giving the ecumenical finger to the Vatican since the 60s, and in effect, the church is catching up to them. Who's the cafeteria Catholic, now? more ›

Police say they've arrested the man who groped a woman in Sunset Park Monday night, but it's unclear if the man is responsible for any of the other sexual assaults that have terrorized parts of Brooklyn over the past several months. Adolfo Martinez, 26, faces charges of sex abuse in the 3rd degree, CBS 2 reports. Martinez allegedly sneaked up behind his 18-year-old victim as she left a subway station at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue around 8 p.m., groped her buttocks, and ran away. more ›

Yesterday, police revealed that a woman had been sexually assaulted at Morningside Park on Sunday night at 6 p.m. Now, the NYPD has released images and video of the suspect. more ›

A group of George Carlin fans are taking to the, um, internet to demand that the Morningside Heights street the famously foulmouthed comedian grew up on be named in his honor. more ›

Welcome to our weekly column Staff Picks, in which we ask the staffers at our favorite book, music, and movie stores around to town to share with us what they're reading, listening to, and watching this week. We figure they're good people to ask. Today we're checking in with the staff at Morningside Heights bookstore Book Culture to find out what they've been dog-earing lately. more ›

Hours after Mayor Bloomberg declared that weather conditions made it “unsafe to stay outside,” several bars in Manhattan Valley and Morningside Heights remained full of New Yorkers unwilling to spend a Saturday night watching “My Wife and Kids” reruns. more ›

A 16-year-old Bronx resident accused of beating a Chinese food deliveryman was described as an honors student by his mother. Charles Codrington was arraigned today, and his mother Carmen Codrington said, "Honest, he's a good boy, he just fell in with a bad crowd." However, prosecutors pointed out that the teen is seen on surveillance video punching the victim at least twice and the call to the Chinese restaurant was made from his cell phone. more ›

Two teens involved in the beating of a Chinese food deliveryman—caught on video— turned themselves in to police yesterday. Bronx resident Charles Codrington, 16, and a 15-year-old were charged with burglary. more ›

Sure, the Darth Vader bank robber and the Scream mask Dunkin' Donuts robber get all the attention with their flashy costumes, but that kind of grandstanding is no substitute for good, old fashioned thief-work. And from the looks of this surveillance video taken from a Morningside Heights Subway outlet, there are at least two guys left in this business who don't care about making headlines; they just want the satisfaction of a job well done. And all the money in the cash register: more ›

[Big Update Below] Sometimes a romantic gesture can land you in the hospital. No, not that kind of gesture. The Daily News today has a story about the kind of incident we're talking about. Last night a 30-year-old Romeo tried to visit his girlfriend in Morningside Heights. But when he got to her building around midnight nobody answered the door. But he was there, and it being Valentine's and all, he went for the romantic gesture and climbed up her fire escape. All was well until he got to the third floor, at which point he slipped and fell back to the ground. more ›

The DoH's restaurant grade initiative has been a hit with diners, to the point that other businesses now want grades. They've also been great for quick neighborhood analysis. Today, for instance, AMNY sorts through the 10,000 or so restaurants that have been graded and notes that the 10026 ZIP code has the dirtiest restaurants (20% of its eateries boast either a "C" or a "Grade Pending" sign). Manhattan isn't just number one, its number two too! The 10006 ZIP in Lower Manhattan comes in second with 13% of its eateries in the "C" or "Pending" range. more ›

Sometimes thieves do the darndest things! Like Kqwamaine Smith, 20. Out on bail for the alleged theft of a cellphone last October, Smith decided it would be a good idea to get his 15-year-old victim's phone number and call him. And once he got him on the line, Smith offered to pay the kid for a new phone if he would drop the charges. Instead Smith was arrested again, this time for attempting to bribe a witness. Moral of the story? If you've been arrested it is not a good idea to try and pay off your victim. more ›

With a rash of cell phone thefts in the Harlem-Morningside Heights-Columbia University area, some wary residents are admitting that maybe walking and talking on the cell phones isn't the greatest idea. One pointed out that the increasingly-popular smartphones cost $300-600 a pop and told WCBS 2, "Sometimes somebody could come and grab your phone or take anything from you, because you’re not paying attention to what’s going on." And a former cop-turned-self-defense expert suggests smartphone owners get hands-free headsets. more ›

It's the old "I have a baby, therefore I'm not dangerous" ploy: WCBS 2 reports that police are searching for a group of robbers who used a baby as part of their cover, "Investigators have released surveillance video of the suspects leaving the Manhattan Avenue apartment building in Morningside Heights. Police said the woman, carrying a small child in her arms, knocked on an apartment door last Wednesday afternoon. When the victim opened the door, two men flashed guns to get into the apartment - where they stole money and an iPhone." (The Daily News says "thousands of dollars" were stolen.) The police say that suspects were spotted getting out of a silver BMW before the robbery; anyone with information should contact the NYPD's CrimeStoppers. more ›

[Update BELOW] Today, the NYPD announced that a second woman was attacked in Riverside Park on July 5. The police say a 48-year-old woman who was walking her dog in the park, when, at 6:20 a.m. and West 98th Street and Riverside Drive, a man walked up behind her, struck her on the back of her head, threw her to the ground and kicked her in the chest and stomach. more ›

The Post reports that a man went to move his Ford Expedition in his Morningside Heights yesterday "only to find it had been trashed -- with the words 'Cheater' and "Rapist" scrawled on it in orange spray paint," three flattened tires and "four golf-ball-size holes in the windshield." The car's owner told the Post, "There was a situation, and I guess some people had some hard feelings. But there was nothing to that." more ›

An assistant district attorney couldn't contain his laughter in court yesterday while reading a suspect's statement about how she kicked her dog unconscious for relieving itself in a building elevator. "He was laughing and had to turn away because he couldn't control the laughter," said Legal Aid attorney, Stacy Schneider, who is defending suspected animal abuser Tiara Davis. "I didn't see any humor in the statement." more ›

Coyotes have made their way to Columbia University's Morningside campus. Over the past week, one has been spotted roaming around Central Park... but now they are multiplying and possibly prepping for a takeover after getting an Ivy League education! Columbia Public Safety reported the sightings of the three coyotes, observed in front of Lewisohn Hall this morning—at which point 911 was called and the NYPD responded. They're all still at large, but the one they did manage to spot "went behind the CEPSR build and it is believed he exited the campus." Ergo, no one is safe. If you are in the area, you are advised not to approach the wascally guys and report them immediately, narcs. more ›

Just days after a man was caught on surveillance camera kicking a dog in an elevator in the General Grant Houses, police uncovered footage of another woman abusing a pooch inside the Morningside Heights housing project. Surveillance video shows 31-year-old Tiara Davis kicking her 9-pound Pomeranian, named Sparky, and yanking on its leash until it went unconscious in a building elevator, according to the Daily News. more ›

While investigating the fatal stabbing of a nine-year-old boy in a Harlem housing project, police officers uncovered video of a building resident abusing a dog, according to the Huffington Post. In their review of surveillance tapes from the elevators of the General Grant Houses, cops found footage showing 21-year-old suspect Chris Grant coaxing a 10-pound Pomeranian-Chihuahua, named Chuvi-Duvi, to climb on his leg before kicking it repeatedly. more ›

Every year it's interesting to see the Smallest, Coolest Apartment contest winners at Apartment Therapy, but now the NY Post is claiming to have found the smallest apartment in all of the city. Zaarath and Christopher Prokop inhabit a 175-square-foot "microstudio" in Morningside Heights — and it all sounds very familiar. more ›

Mary Travers, of folk singing group Peter, Paul & Mary fame, died at the age of 72 back in mid-September. The NY Times now reports that a memorial celebration of her life and music will be held at 7 p.m. this coming Monday at Riverside Church in Morningside Heights. "The service will be open to the public. Tickets will be available on the day of the event on a first-come-first-served basis. Half the seats will be reserved for invited guests," and everyone from Pete Seeger to Whoopi Goldberg is expected to show. more ›

Owing $158,000 in back rent to a formidable landlord—Columbia University—independent book store Morningside Bookshop will close tomorrow. Owner Peter Soter, who opened the bookshop on Broadway & West 114th five years ago, told the Columbia Spectator earlier this month that while Columbia was "very supportive, and very helpful," he just couldn't make enough money to stay open. Soter put up a letter to the community in the window: "We wanted to be the little bookstore that could. We couldn't." The NY Times chronicles the farewells the bookshop has been receiving, plus some of the economic realities. Some residents feel Columbia could have done more, some have offered a total of $68,000 in "unsolicited donations" to keep the store open. One teacher said, "One of the reasons I lived on the Upper West Side is that it has a sense of being a vital neighborhood. A neighborhood bookstore becomes part of you. I love that bookstore. It’s not like losing a finger. It’s like losing an arm." more ›

After an epic upside-down FAIL during his last stunt, it's nice to see David Blaine will be putting away the bells and whistles and doing some of his regular street magic this afternoon. CITYarts, a non-profit public art organization in New York, informs us that they'll be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m. today to celebrate the restoration of the 36-year-old mosaic benches around Grant's Tomb in Morningside Heights (located at Riverside Drive and West 122nd Street). Blaine, allegedly a fan of the benches, will be on hand "doing magic for the kids," and all are invited to attend! more ›

Days after seven Columbia University students were attacked near campus, the police have announced four arrests. Surveillance cameras captured possible suspects who apparently struck at five different locations. According to WNBC, "the suspects as 16-year old DeShaun Busby, 16-year-old Quentin Cox, 17-year-old Lawrence Jones and 18-year-old Jan Germosen" and "all face charges of gang assault." The police are continuing to look for other suspects. more ›