Recently we (finally) joined Instagram, which is now the the most popular photo-sharing service out there, as well as a fast-growing social network. They have over 27 million users, even though the service is only, unfortunately, available through an iPhone app right now. It's a little inhibiting even with an iPhone—for example, to our knowledge, there's no way of browsing someone's photo archives online unless you have a direct link to the image. So on that note, we thought we'd share some of our photos with you here. If you are using Instagram, you can follow us there at "Gothamist," and here's a little look at the photos we've been posting (with lots of help from one of our photographers, Sam Horine). more ›

Long before green beer was poured and livestreaming the action on your laptop was a possibility, the St. Patrick's Day Parade took over the Manhattan streets in a much more... civil way. The first parade happened on March 17th, 1762, and has been held for the past 248 years in honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland and the Archdiocese of New York. According to lore: more ›

When Chris Arnade isn't plying his trade in finance he is likely in the Bronx or another locale far away from the bustling bubble of Manhattan, taking photos of New Yorkers. With each picture, Arnade posts a brief but detailed caption that makes his Flickr account an engrossing chronicle of various neighborhoods and the people who call them home. Recently, he has gained acclaim for his series, Faces of Addiction, shot in Hunts Point, but Arnade shoots everywhere, from East New York to Cobble Hill. We spoke with Arnade about his methodology, why he photographs addicts, and what he hopes we'll take away from viewing his work. more ›

The 2nd Avenue Subway may be making your puppy sick and may be keeping you up at night and may be creating odors and dust plumes, but it sure does look cool down there. The MTA just uploaded some new photos from the underground, which is looking pretty different from when we visited in 2010. Progress?! more ›

In case you haven't noticed because we live in a city and all, we're at the tail end of peak foliage season! Get yourself to a park (here are some suggestions) to soak up that last bit of autumnal splendor. After all, when beautiful dying leaf season is over, all we've got are dead trees. more ›

Early this morning a 75-year-old, 74-foot tree in Pennsylvania was cut down in front of friends and family, who we are told were on the scene to "bid farewell to their Norway Spruce." Once it was murdered (footage below!), the tree was hoisted by a huge crane, and is currently on a hearse flatbed truck which is transporting it to New York City. Once here, it will be adorned, propped up, and made a spectacle of. more ›

Last week, Open House New York announced a special last-minute addition to their schedule—JFK Airport's fabulously modern, Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Terminal. Architecture and aero-buffs were thrilled at the announcement, since the much-loved terminal has been closed to the public since 2001. Open House New York reps tell us that over 1,000 people came through the terminal, which is currently being renovated, during the one afternoon that it was open. more ›

It's Ghostbusters weather outside! There are giant, dark clouds swallowing us up as we type—so let's turn to the experts for some comfort/scaremongering, keeping in mind they're sometimes not so accurate. According to meteorologists, here's what we're looking at: more ›

With Jane's Carousel set to open on September 16th, the finishing touches are now being put into place. Yesterday we took a look inside of the horse-less carousel and its $9 million acrylic jewel box, and this morning we received photos of the horses rolling through DUMBO, en route to their final destination on the waterfront. But their new home is also the scene of a controversial arborcide, for their arrival meant the untimely demise of a "majestic" weeping willow tree. more ›

Last week, we took a look at the somewhat controversial Jane Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park from a bit of a distance. This week, since Hurricane Irene didn't destroy it, we get a more detailed look. Photographer Stephen Murray got up close to the "action," snapping a few shots of the Carousel's interior—check out those hyper-detailed paintings below the spokes! No horses (or other animals) appear to have been installed yet, but the Carousel's opening date remains September 16th, after which point it will be running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (closed Tuesdays), with rides going for $2 a pop. [via DUMBO NYC] more ›

Yes, the MTV VMAs happened again this year, despite having no host. The show was relatively tame (at least compared to years past)—as the Times notes, perhaps the most shocking aspect was how quickly the network's censors hit the bleep button during potty-mouthed scenes with Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne and... Cloris Leachman. more ›

If you're Cardiff School of Art & Design student Rachel Walsh, who was given an assignment to "explain something modern/internet based to someone who lived and died before 1900," you make this clever, visually illustrative guide. The larger book, representing the Kindle, has space carved out for forty miniature books, each rendered with tiny, perfect attention to detail. Dickens himself would surely approve. Well done! This deserves an A. Bonus: it would probably also help us explain the Kindle to our grandparents. [via Laughing Squid] more ›

As you know, "young, artsy types" are flocking to Rockaway this summer. Some of the more territorial "regulars" there are none too happy about the recent attention because, you know, they own the place. But as you can see from these historic photos, Rockaway was being ruined by massive invasions of outsiders long before the Gray Lady glanced its way—just click through and look at these f*cking hipsters. more ›

Starting this weekend (July 2nd, through July 29th), the Bonni Benrubi Gallery will be displaying the late Linda McCartney's photographs. The set includes everything from candid photos of Johnny Depp and Kate Moss to John Lennon to Willem de Kooning to her own view of that famous walk The Beatles took across Abbey Road. Click through for a sneak peek at what's in store. more ›

Earlier this week we took a very cool field trip to the New York Public Library's Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle, one of the Library's many troves of rare printed treasures. The Pforzenheimer Collection is one the world's largest resources devoted to English Romantic writers like Percy Shelley, his wife Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, and Lord Byron. more ›

Chelsea has a new addition to its roster of tapas joints (see also: Txikito, Tia Pol and Boqueria) with the opening of Luis Bollo's Salinas, a new Spanish restaurant on 9th Ave. Bollo, a San Sebastian native late of groundbreaking Spanish restaurant Meigas, returns to New York kitchens after a stint in New Jersey with a menu of hot and cold tapas, plus larger homestyle Spanish favorites. more ›