In what seems to be separate incidents, NJ Transit and PATH commuters are facing a rough Thursday morning commute into the city. The NJ Transit issue is a downed wire just west of Newark Penn Station. Riders on the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coast Line, and Raritan Valley Lines have delays of at least 60 minutes. According to NJ Transit, Amtrak is working on fixing the problem but "commuters are encouraged to seek alternative transportation."......

Oh, CXB, you lovable scamp-- just a couple of months out of the pokie, and already getting into fistfights with deranged comedy club managers. Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a scaffold collapse in the Village, a single-engine plane crash in Brooklyn, and a person struck by subway at 42nd Street on the 7. Also, last night there was a small fire at the Williamsburg Savings Bank building (currently under construction), in Brooklyn. The man......

It's hot, humid, and I want to go to the beach. What are my options? Well, Gateway National Recreation Area is right in our neck of the woods, extending in three New York City boroughs and into northern New Jersey. It is a good place to start your quest for the perfect patch of sand and cooling waters. Queens: Jacob Riis Park 2 to Flatbush Ave., Q35 Bus to Riis Beach Staten Island: Great Kills......

According to our trusty informants at Gothamist Contribute, the maple sugar smell returned for a fourth time last night:The maple syrup smell is a Canadian conspiracy to get us to buy more maple syrup! January 27, 2006 12:31 AM i smell it on 118th street!! January 27, 2006 12:22 AM The syrup smell is very strong near La Guardia as well. This is really freaking me out. January 26, 2006 11:26 PM cpw at 88th-check......