AMNY ruined elitist drinkers’ fun today by outing some “secret” watering holes around town. One of them, The Back Room, is no secret, just a pain to find for first-timers. The capacious bar is tucked away at 102 Norfolk Street two doors down from a "Lower East Side Toys" sign; pass through a gate and down some steps to a narrow alley that leads to an unmarked door. Or just look for the bouncer standing......

Yesterday a press conference on the steps of City Hall was held in response to the eviction and closing of Tonic, the downtown venue that shut its doors after nine years. A committee of musicians, cultural activists, and supporters made a call for public and political intervention to protect new music/indie/avant/jazz in New York City and to ask the city to provide a minimum 200 capacity, centrally located venue for experimental music. From the press......

READING: Alice Walker's daughter, Rebecca Walker, reads from her book "Baby Love: Choosing Motherhood after a Lifetime of Ambivalence". Babies, family, pregnancy...will all be discussed. 7pm // Barnes & Noble [675 Sixth Ave] // Free EVENT: Ever wonder how Shakespeare would respond to current events? Well someone did, and now there's an event series, Conversations with Shakespeare, based around what he would do if he were alive today. In other words, WWSD? This week "your......

When self-proclaimed "pizza master" Michael Ayoub invited us to an evening party of wine and pizza pairings (complete with a mozzarella making demonstration) at the LES's Cronkite Pizzeria, Gothamist knew we had to stop by for a taste. Last night, Ayoub, the chef-owner of Cronkite as well as of Fornino in Williamsburg, catered to a hungry and happy crowd with a selection of antipasti and "3 Generations of Pizza" -- fifteen varieties of artisanal......

- Baby, it's cold outside, and what better way to warm up than with a steaming bowl of soup. MUG rounds up readers' favorite chicken soups, or if you prefer cooking your own, the Daily News lets us in on soup recipes from Dirty Bird, Tabla, and Fairway - Have you seen this bulgogi sandwich cart? If so, let Midtown Lunch know. - Okay all you lovebirds out there, Valentine's Day is right around the......

Michael Ayoub is building on the success of Fornino with the opening of his latest restaurant, Cronkite Pizzeria & Wine Bar. Cronkite, located in the Lower East Side, opened to friends and family last Friday and to the public yesterday. The restaurant is so new that it still smells like paint! When we saw Ayoub last night, he told Gothamist that Crokite is still a work in progress. With its custom-made gas-fired brick-lined oven,......

Last night, Scientologist Beck played at an old Synagogue on Norfolk Street (The Angel Orensanz Foundation). Seeing a show at this venue is always an amazing experience, and last night was no exception. Candles hung in wrought iron chandeliers above the crowd, and Beck and friends took the stage. The hour and a half long set wasn't all mellow, the small Casio they had livened everything up a bit. The evening culminated with the band......

Joe spotted this great shot of the ongoing construction of Bernard Tschumi's Blue Tower on Norfolk Street-- looks like the blue paneling has almost reached the point where the building starts to cantilever out at an odd angle. Compare to this shot from last month. [Related: Curbed's Blue Archives. And good news-- if you've got $1-2 million dollars, a couple of two-bedrooms in the building are still available!]......

This weekend the weather takes the main stage, so ditch the jacket and get outside! We've even added an "Outside" category this week in hopes that in the next few days you will expose yourself to daylight. Seriously, you are looking a bit pale. OUTSIDE: Carved in 1912 by Charles Carmel and featuring 51 animals the Prospect Park Carousel only costs $1 per ride. It's located in the Children's corner, on the Blue Trail. So......

Today: Danny Meyer's Shake Shack re-opens. People are all in a tizzy about this place. We have to admit, we like the burgers at the Burger Joint more, but we haven't tried the famed dogs and custard yet. It's only open from 11-4 through April, but extended hours start May 1st. Madison Square Park, Southeast Corner. April 5: Take A Bite Out of the Big Apple. This event, featuring Marco Canora of Hearth, Ed Witt......

NYPD charged a third person with the murder of Nicole duFresne. The NY Times reports that 18 year old Ashley Evans was apprehended in Maryland, visiting her father (a former NYPD cop), and that her involvement including taking the .357 Magnum that Rudy Fleming used in the crime and hiding it. What's interesting is what Fleming's cousin, Servisio Simmon, said: But yesterday, Servisio Simmon, 21, part of Mr. Fleming's group, said that Mr. Fleming did......

It's a week after Thanksgiving and you haven't started your holiday shopping yet!? You are so screwed. Luckily you can play catch up this weekend at the copious amounts of fairs, sales and craft shows going on around the city. First off an annual favorite of ours, the Small Press Book Fair. With about 150 indie presses exhibiting the Fair always has an exceptional selection. When?: Saturday, December 4, 10am to 6pm // Sunday, December......