Today's windy weather has blown debris from an unfinished Frank Gehry skyscraper in Lower Manhattan. Materials started falling from the 76-story Beekman Tower this morning, causing police to close off the "area between Gold Street, Ann Street and Park Row" to cars and pedestrians. The NotifyNYC service sent out an initial warning at 8:05 am urging New Yorkers to "[a]void the area near Spruce Street between Williams Street and Park Row," then followed up with another message at 10:04 am noting that "[d]ebris is falling because of the high winds." more ›

The roadway has been closed to regular vehicle traffic since 2001; the NYPD asserts that it's necessary to protect its HQ from a truck bomb attack. Chinatown residents are increasingly frustrated, however, at the disruption caused by the closure of a vital thoroughfare. People who live nearby argue that the police department has placed a chokehold on an entire neighborhood and that if One Police Plaza is such an obvious terrorist target, perhaps it should be moved from a residential area. One middle school teacher said "I’m only let into my building at the whim of a cop." more ›

THEATER: Sarah Maxfield, the brains behind theater collective Red Metal Mailbox, brings THROW, the bi-monthly performance series she curates, to The Chocolate Factory in Long Island City. Imbibe cheap beer and vibe new work by Rebecca Davis, Betsy Miller & Dancers, and Tara O'Con. After each experiment, Maxfield moderates an exchange in which each performer interrogates the audience in hopes of culling constructive criticism from the increasingly lubricated crowd. Who’ll be the first to declare, “Worst performance art EVER”? - John Del Signore more ›

A Chinatown bus story that does not involve its speed or quality of the ride: The NY Sun reports that the police aren't very happy with Chinatown buses using previous curbside space, because things are crowded enough. Which led some City Council member Alan Gerson to suggest that a bus terimnal be created for Chinatown: "These buses have more pick-ups and drop-offs than the Port Authority." more ›

- And MILFs, get ready for October 14th - that's when the producers of the Hottest Mom in America are casting - check out the ladies in who showed up in Chicago more ›

The city is always a hotbed for activism. Metro has a story about two gay men and a lesbian staging a sit-in in front of the U.S. Armed Forces Recruiting Station in Times Square yesterday. Only thing is the USAFRS was closed! The three protesters, who were trying to "enlist in defiance of the military’s ban on homosexuals" believe the USAF knew they were staging the purpose and decided to close up. Jake Retain, a Soulforce coordinator, told Metro, "Why else would they be closed at 10 a.m. Wednesday?" more ›

On Friday night, there was a smoke condition at City Hall. Apparently an "electrical panel overheated," filling the basement with smoke around 7:45PM, forcing a building evacuation. According to the NY Times, only a few building workers were in the building (Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn weren't around) and though the fire department brought a hose into the building, no water was sprayed. We're glad that City Hall wasn't damaged, as it's a truly beautiful building. We've noticed that many people mistake the Municipal Building, which is much much taller and cuts a more impressive figure than City Hall. We love City Hall's many windows, which make it seem open and add a bit of grace to its granite exterior. However, much of the mayor's staff and other city offices are in the Municipal Building. more ›

- Park Row bus routes have finally reopened, four years and two months after September 11 more ›

What a disaster yesterday was. After prominently featuring the Cloud Cult show at Knitting Factory last week, it ends up the show was never actually happening. If you bought tickets, contact Knitting Factory and/or Ticketweb and get your money back. The good news: we wouldn't have been able to talk about Cloud Cult on Gothamist otherwise, so hopefully you discovered a great new band (still haven't listened?). more ›