Fire Island property owners whose businesses were destroyed in yesterday's devastating blaze promised that the Island's legendary gay clubs would be back and ready for action this summer. more ›

Remember way back in May, when the owners of the Pavilion movie theater in Park Slope, a frontrunner for the title of Nastiest Theater in the city, claimed they would clean up the theater's act, after numerous reports of bedbugs? Well, it looks like that might not be an empty promise after all, if this picture is to be trusted. more ›

Going to the movies this weekend? Don't forget your bed bug seat cover! Entrepreneur Joseph Harary tells us that after reading reports of bed bugs at the Pavilion movie theater in Park Slope, his wife refused to join him for a night at the movies. On his website, he elaborates, "In the coming months I went to see a Broadway show and this time came in with a plastic sheet to sit on. We got several smiles, a few laughs and many compliments. I realized right away that everyone knew why we sat on them and all seemed to approve. At intermission I held a mini focus group study gathering advice and ideas." And so the BugOff seat cover was born! Here's an instructional video showing how it works: more ›

After years of protests and a long, drawn-out lawsuit, the city is moving forward with a plan to convert a large part of the 80-year-old Pavilion in Union Square park into a restaurant. The Parks Department recently put out a request for proposals to operate a seasonal café in the park's refurbished pavilion; the deadline is in two months. According to the Post, the winning bidder would secure a 15-year contract to run the private café six months out of the year, and also have the option to operate a satellite cart or kiosk. more ›

Harvest in the Square, Union Square's yearly food and wine fundraiser to benefit the Union Square Partnership's "ongoing beautification efforts" to the park, is self-described as "Great Food. Great Fun. Great Fundraiser. Everyone Leaves Feeling Great." That might not be the case tonight, though, when a mob of rabble rousers converge to jeer at VIPs as they arrive at the "pricey party tent." The protesters' beef, as you'll recall, is with the partnership's controversial attempt to turn the park's 78-year-old Pavilion into a year-round restaurant. Last we checked, a judge agreed with the restaurant opponents. But that doesn't mean they still can't get together and taunt the swells. To join them, assemble at the George Washington statue at 6 p.m. and "bring your own pots & pans and something to bang with!" Organizers promise to provide chef's hats. Details. more ›

Architect Craig Dykers (of Norwegian-based design firm Snøhetta ) was joined by Mayor Bloomberg and other officials at 7 World Trade Center this morning to unveil new renderings for a downsized World Trade Center memorial museum and pavilion at the site of the former twin towers. The $80 million polygonal pavilion, which is being financed by New York State, will range in height from 57 to 72 feet and have about 40,000 square feet to use for public programs and museum exhibitions intended to "tell the story of the events of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993." more ›

In a clever ploy to undermine the city’s controversial proposal to lease out the 78-year-old Union Square Pavilion as a year-round restaurant, a group of activists sent a fake press release Monday that claimed to be from the Union Square Partnership Business Improvement District (BID). The release announced the BID’s decision to drop its push for “privatization of the famous park after overwhelming feedback from citizens across New York City.” (NewsBlaze still has the release on their website.) more ›

Reverend Billy climbed to the roof of the Pavilion building in Union Square last night around 6:30 p.m. to hang a banner reading: Not For Sale. While he was up there, he gave the passersby a lesson on why the historic free speech structure cannot be turned into a private, upscale restaurant; reminding people that the first Labor Day in 1882 took place there, and that one "shouldn’t have to buy a $15 appetizer to have access to this building.” more ›

A State Supreme Court judge has issued a “preliminary injunction” prohibiting the city from turning the 78-year-old Pavilion in Union Square park into a restaurant. Last week the court ruled that the $21 million overhaul to the north end of the park could proceed while a lawsuit brought by community groups moves forward, but temporary stalled work on the Pavilion. more ›

UPDATE: NY1's first report yesterday on the Union Square Pavilion lawsuit has been corrected. It turns out that, contrary to the initial news, the injunction stopping work on the park’s 78-year-old Pavilion is still in effect. more ›

A state judge has issued a temporary restraining order to stop the city’s $21 million overhaul of the north end of Union Square Park, which would install a new restaurant in the historic Pavilion, redesign two playgrounds and repave asphalt where the Greenmarket had been operating. A coalition of community groups and parks advocates who brought the lawsuit say the city needs to get approval from the state legislature before privatizing part of the park, which has long been a flashpoint for protests and rallies. more ›

Another slice of Park Slope life from Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn. Upon leaving a showing of Definitely, Maybe at the Park Slope movie theater, the Pavilion, OTBKB and fellow moviegoers spied a white teenaged girl "sitting on a bench [in the second floor concession area] icing an injury on her face just below her right eye." more ›

No one knows for sure what’s to become of the future Union Square pavilion, but a strong contender for the space – formerly occupied by the shabby Luna Park – is a new restaurant helmed by Danny Meyer, who opened the Union Square Café in ’85 and whose Shake Shack in Madison Square Park is an object of obsession. more ›