Welcome back to our Instant Entertainment weekly feature, in which we offer you bits of entertainment currently available on demand on Netflix Instant Watch, Hulu and/or Amazon Prime. Watched something online recently you think we should highlight? Send us a note at tips@gothamist.com. more ›

Mars Bar is dead...long live Mars Bar? When it was first announced that the legendary punk bar on Second Avenue was closing its doors to make way for new condos (with the option to return in the new building) most of us figured that was just happy talk and that once the bar closed that would be it. But rumors are now swirling over on EVG that owner Hank Penza is readying to reopen in a new space in...a matter of months? more ›

If you're a woman between 25 and 45, you probably have read at least one Sweet Valley High book, featuring California gurls Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield, with their blond hair, blue eyes, and perfect size six (back in the day; now they are a size four) figures and their cast of high school friends/ frenemies, Elizabeth's jock boyfriend Todd Wilkins, rich bitch Lila Fowler, nerdy nice girl Enid Rollins, rich jerk Bruce Patman, and many others. And for those of you who have read more than a few SVH books, you've probably heard that there's a new book, Sweet Valley Confidential, that looks at what good girl Elizabeth and bad girl Jessica are up to ten years later. Forget whether it's any good—you find out who has reformed, who has turned right-wing, who has died, who has turned gay, and who is marrying her twin's ex-boyfriend. more ›

Is it just us, or does yesterday's earthquake already seem a distant memory? We didn't even feel it over at Gothamist headquarters, but apparently many other people did, so we're probably just being insensitive. Though the epicenter was 300 miles north on the border of Ontario and Quebec, we were treated to 30 seconds of tremors in NYC. In downtown Brooklyn, NY1 spoke with some locals who felt the earth move under their feet. "Some of our chairs were shaking, some of our fans began making strange noises," said one. "Many of us decided to leave the building at that point." And in Manhattan, one Dave Steinberg said, "For about twenty seconds the building was just swaying, it was absolutely incredible." more ›

NYC Transit has been running the Nostalgia Train to Yankees post-season games lately—maybe the throwback fever has been spreading! A reader spotted that the old skip-stop 9 line, last in service back in 2005, appears on the MTA's website when you click on the subway map's Times Square stop. more ›

Yesterday we looked at the newly renovated lobby of the Empire State Building, and all its Art Deco glory made us nostalgic. LIFE magazine images are often good for curing that; they even have a whole gallery of the building being made by hand. Enough to make you reread The Fountainhead. more ›

As Times Square looks at new ways to market to the masses, the nostalgic long for the days that neon signs were selling a very, very different thing. Jeremiah's Vanishing New York has just found some photos of the area from the 1990s, and he says, "I used to love walking up and down 42nd Street between Broadway and 8th. The sidewalks were unclogged by tourists and there were no peddlers begging to sketch your caricature or write your name on a grain of rice. The only barkers barking called out, 'Girls, girls, girls, one dolla, one dolla, one dolla.'" And of course the ladies and the lack of tourists weren't the only thing different; he recalls the buildings being lower and constructed of brick, saying, "They were human-sized, manageable." more ›

Last night the gorgeous old Cheyenne Diner was unceremoniously carted away on flatbed trucks to its new home in Birmingham, Alabama. Did anyone else mistakenly think it was already gone? Actually, only its signs were removed, back in January, after a push to keep it in NYC by moving it to Red Hook failed. Because that's just what Manhattan so desperately needs. Birmingham businessman Joel Owens bought the 1940s-era streamlined diner for several thousand dollars; he tells CNN, "I think it's the most beautiful diner in the world. If you think about what's wrong with today, in order to fix the problems of today, you've got to look back... [to] when it was better. I think [the diner] is symbolic of the glory days. Technology and more money doesn't necessarily mean progress. We long for simpler times. These types of buildings can be an instrument for our youth to learn from the past. Teenagers need a clean environment for entertainment, a 'hang out.'" Here in New York, we obviously need more condos; naturally that's what the owner of the Cheyenne's midtown site plans to build on the site. more ›

Since Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start to summer, here are some old LIFE magazine photos showing city-dwellers cooling off during past summer months. Maybe you can take some pointers from them this season (stoops, shorts, shade and swimsuits seem to help)! Or you can always spend the hot months indoors finally reading Infinite Jest. [Hat tip Ephemeral NY] more ›

Now that there won't be major service changes to the MTA buses, now we can revel in a cute part of the bus experience: The bell cord, that somewhat slack length of cable that passengers pulled to alert drivers of their stops. Times dynasty scion A.G. Sulzberger writes on CityRoom, "Without fanfare, New York City Transit has installed the bell cord in all new buses, including 270 already in service in every borough, with an additional 580 hitting the streets over the next year. Eventually, the whole fleet will be outfitted with the cord." Why bring it back? Because it's cheaper and easier to repair! And a veteran bus driver added, even though the last bell cord was taken out in 1992 to make way for the tape buttons, "People still search for the cords. To this day, people will come up to me and say, ‘I can’t find the bell.’" more ›

Last night at the Garden was the annual Christmas concert thrown by Z100 known as the Jingle Ball. Perusing a list of its performers is a bit of an eye-opening experience for some of us in realizing just how long it's been since we had "the phrase that pays" rolling off the tips of our tongues. But dare we say that in its thirteenth year, the Jingle Ball has been running for long enough to be considered an adolescent institution here in the Big Apple. Plus we can always delude ourselves of our relative youth status by reading the Daily News description of the tweenage girls "having one heck of a good time." more ›

As Andrew Sullivan simply stated, "Say goodbye to the rest of your day." Google is now hosting an exhausting millions of images from LIFE's archives, "stretching from the 1750s to today." Here are a few NYC gems, and if you're looking for more of old New York, we'd suggest having some search keywords in mind to make it a bit less overwhelming! more ›

SHOP: Still looking for that perfect gift? The Brooklyn Historical Society is holding the 4th Annual NY Creates Craft Fair, and they may have just what you're looking for. Check it out today and tomorrow, and it will be back the 22nd and 23rd for the real last-minute shoppers. more ›

Paramore Arrives One of our favorite albums of the year is by these girl-fronted teenage pop-punkers, and they were in town this week to headline their largest local show yet at Roseland Ballroom. It was the last show of a massive national tour, but you wouldn't know it seeing front woman Hayley Williams running around stage with the rest of her band. Paramore may not win any originality contests, but they've got more fire and... more ›

Nicolai Ouroussoff, the architecture critic for the NY Times, enjoys working in his employer's new headquarters, he writes today, but the building designed by Renzo Piano falls short of the best skyscrapers in the city. For one, it allegedly harbors a streak of nostalgia, which in the world of architectural discourse amounts to an aesthetic identity crisis. The nostalgia in question is a longing not for neo-Gothic frills and cornices, but for the 1950s era... more ›

Another over-the-top Coney Island development proposal is in the works. Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a plan today to build the nation's biggest urban amusement park there, including 4,500 residential units (20 percent are set-asides for low- and middle-income housing) and some retail establishments. The proposal basically spells doom for Thor Equities' $1.5 million Vegas-style entertainment complex that can only get built if the city provides zoning for it. Don't worry, the Cyclone isn't going anywhere.... more ›

This week, Phillyist saw the waters of a landmark fountain run red for a Showtime marketing stunt, the Phils pull ahead, and some serious nostalgia. They also got a chance to review an awesome tribute album, reminded folks to see the King, and appreciated their beautiful skyline. more ›

The Division of State Government Accountability from the Office of the New York State Comptroller recently released an audit of the New York City Transit Museum’s Nostalgia Train program. The audit identified “significant weaknesses in the Museum’s internal controls over ticket revenue for Nostalgia Train excursions” and that most of the program’s costs are coming from New York City Transit’s fare revenues and public mass transit funding. more ›

After several months of playing massive festivals around the world, The original blog-band returns home. And you know, just because blogs don't follow these fellas' every move anymore doesn't mean that the DIY posterboys aren't still out there selling out clubs and supporting their sophomore album. They played a few local shows this week and their ever-improving live act was tight and on point at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and Gramercy Theater (where Natalie Portman turned up to catch their set). These two shows kick off a good old fashioned cross-country club tour with Elvis Perkins and Deerland, which will wind back up here for 2 more sold out concerts at Bowery and Studio B in November. While they stuck to a set of already released songs this week, we hope maybe we'll hear reports of some new songs on this tour. Seems like they’re about due. We shall see. (pic via Tomiffy's flickr) more ›

With Labor Day weekend well under way, the season of block parties is about to come to an end. The NY Times has a story today on 4 of the 225 block parties that took place in the city last weekend (overall most take place in Brooklyn). more ›

While the literary set continues to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac's On the Road, the fashionistas are joining in on the fun. Neatly tucked in to every post-college kids backpacking across Europe adventure bag -- and most likely on your bookshelf -- the dharma bum bible just keeps on giving. more ›

MUSIC: Not long ago we saw the movie Once, and absolutely loved it. Busker meets girl, deep connection through music...you get the idea. Now the two main characters are touring and singing the songs from the soundtrack. The male lead was of course the singer of The Frames, Glen Hansard, and his female counterpoint is Marketa Irglova. Tonight they take the stage at Gramercy, so it's your chance to see them off the big screen and right before your very eyes. We wonder if they'll stay in character? more ›

Natasha Khan is better known as the singer-songwriter behind Bat for Lashes, a band recently nominated for the Mercury Prize. Khan weaves a world all her own with her music and artwork, and happily invites anyone to come join her there. We wouldn't be surprised if at university she majored in nostalgia, with so much attention drawn back to childhood in her work. Her wide-eyed world of yesteryear is a little bit magical, a little bit noir, and seems to be fueled by a never-ending supply of innocence, experience and anticipation. more ›

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Michael Hearst, of Brooklyn book-rock collective One Ring Zero, is the man behind Songs For Ice Cream Trucks. As such, he has single-handedly reinvented the timeless sound we often hear on the street during the summer, some with a tinge of nostalgia, some sprinkled with noir and all leaving you wanting seconds. more ›

Holy Crap! The Virtual LES launched! Words cannot describe, friends (speaking of which, let's be BFFs!). Clearly this is not meant for people who actually frequent the actual Lower East Side, but rather the people who read their blogs. Seeing all the places in creepy second life 3-D is pure Twilight Zone stuff. Highlights so far, while briefly browsing around the site are that you can shop at the Virtual American Apparel, attend virtual gigs like Leo Fitzpatrick DJing at the Virtual Darkroom and Against Me! playing the Virtual Cake Shop (so there, btw.) Best might be the descriptions of the clubs on this page. In particular, "Max Fish is to Lower East Side bars what the Smithsonian Institute is to American museums." Classic. more ›

The Summer of Love is back, and taking over New York for a 40th anniversary celebration spanning museums, theaters and screens. The NY Times takes a look at what to expect during this retrospective celebration: more ›