A party boat carrying a bunch of teenagers had to make an emergency stop at Randall's Island last night, not because they group had run out of Boone's Farm, but because three "intoxicated teens" needed medical attention. DNAinfo reports that the FDNY received an emergency call from the boat around 7 p.m. No word on whether the teens eventually made it to their original destination, Pleasure Island. more ›

Well this is probably harshing some vibes out there. Thanks to Hurricane Irene, the Dave Matthews Band will have to move their 3-day-long festival to Randall's Island (sad didgeridoo), which was rescheduled for September 16th to 18th. Originally the festival was set to take place last weekend on the much more picturesque Governors Island. more ›

In another reminder that money and hoity-tiotyness will always triumph over spirit, fairness, equity and merit, the NY Times reports that the public playing fields on Randall's Island are being overwhelmingly used by private schools and institutions, leaving public schools way in the outskirts. more ›

The City Parks Department recently trained some employees on proper ATV handling on Randall's Island, but were they putting birds in danger in the process? A Times reporter recently sat in on some ATV training, where one Parks worker mentioned they saw a killdeer plover nest in the vicinity. He said, "Two of her eggs are broken. I hope we didn’t do it." Killdeer plovers are ground-nesting birds and rely on distraction techniques to protect their eggs—techniques which most likely wouldn't work against an ATV. So, should the Parks Department be more careful, or does the plover need to learn to hide a little better? more ›

This afternon the Newtown Pippin Restoration and Celebration is planting NYC's first public access apple orchard! It will consist of 40 trees right on Randall's Island, and according to this Facebook page the Parks Department is in the know... but it's been a day and they haven't responded to our request for comment, or more information, or anything. So what we do know is that the trees are included in the MillionTreesNYC program, and they should have their first fruits by... 2015, with a full harvest by 2020. It is then that the orchard will be open to the public, and according to the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, "paddlers and rowers will be able to land, stroll over to pick fruit, and continue on their way." Just 10 years away, folks! more ›

A state judge has again ordered Mayor Bloomberg to follow the city's land use review procedure and hold public hearing about his controversial plan to construct new sports fields on Randalls Island and rent them to 20 private schools. Under the Mayor's plan, private schools like Buckley, Chapin and Dalton would pay $45 million for exclusive access to a part of the new athletic facilities during peak after-school hours — a move that critics contend would turn public land into private land. more ›

Some ledes can't be improved upon, so we have to hand it to the Post for this one: "In a grab for even more 'power,' Mayor Bloomberg is about to harness the sun, the wind and East River tide." But unlike his mayoral rival Montgomery Burns, Bloomberg intends to use the power of the sun for good...or so his Parks Department henchman says. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe has revealed that the city is moving forward with plans to create an alternative-energy "theme park" on Wards Island, which would include 800 square feet of solar panels, a 140-foot-high wind turbine, and four 100-kilowatt tidal turbines to generate enough electricity to power 100 homes. more ›

A state judge has shot down Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to rent sports fields on Randalls Island to private schools because the administration failed to follow the legally required land-use review process when it made the deal. The plan was for private schools to pay $2.6 million a year for the next two decades in exchange for use of the renovated fields during peak hours from 3pm to 6pm. The Parks Department had agreed to contribute $65 million to refurbishing 36 sports fields and building new fields on 12.5 acres of the island. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: fatal person under a train incident at 34th St. and 6th Ave. in Manhattan, a collapse at 64th St. between 8th and 9th Aves. in Brooklyn, and a confined space rescue on 43rd St. and 5th Ave. in Manhattan.
• The one-legged spokesman in an anti-smoking campaign admits that smoking has cost him a limb due to health complications, including multiple heart attacks, surgeries, and strokes. That doesn't mean he's actually quit though.
• In a world where love can hurt, but denying true love can be a killer, Patrick Bateman's got a problem. Enjoy the trailer for this new romantic comedy: American Psycho.

Norman Siegel, former NYCLU director, is taking the city to court today on behalf of Harlem residents opposed to the city’s plan for sports fields on Randall's Island. The city is building 63 new fields on the island in addition to the 36 fields already there; the construction is being partially financed by a consortium of private schools who will be given exclusive access to most of the fields between 3pm and 6pm on weekdays. more ›

Over the weekend The Arcade Fire played a big show on Randall's Island, far far away from the Knitting Factory and Mercury Lounge (some of the first venues they ever played here). For those who made the trip to see them, the post-show transportation made for quite the afterparty. One concert goer wrote in: "10,000 people trying to get on express buses does not work - we ended up walking the Triborough back to Queens." more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a triple shooting on East 21st St. and Caton Ave. in Brooklyn, a missing child on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, and a mass casualty incident at Castle Hill Ave. and the Cross Bronx Expressway.
• Many New Yorkers donned black this Thursday in solidarity with the Jena 6.
• Cops are looking for a man who applied for a job at the Duane Reade on 34th St. and 5th Ave., only to return to the store a few minutes later brandishing a silver-colored gun and demanding money.
• The Parks Dept. has officially ended the bid for a company to build a 26-acre water-park on Randall's Island.
• A 45-year-old bachelor is striving for independence from the bedroom in his parents' home, where he's organizing a campign for an independent Long Island Nation. He wants Brooklyn, Queens, and the rest of the island to break off not just from NYC, but to secede from the United States.
• A kayak and canoe ramp opened in the Idlewild Park Preserve on Jamaica Bay in Queens, but not all residents seemed that enthusiastic.
• Former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey was ordered by a judge to pay his ex-wife $2,500 a month in alimony.
• New York City and State have agreed on a set of safety protocols that will be enacted at the Deutsche Bank building in the next two to three weeks.

Plans for a water park on Randall's Island are on the verge of collapse as the developer granted a state concession to build the amusement complex missed its second deadline in seven months to secure financing. According to the Daily News, many East Harlem residents and park advocates were ecstatic at the project's possible failure. Tickets for the water park would have been priced at $37 a person and would result in a de facto reduction of public park space for those unable to afford admission. The neighborhoods closest to the proposed water park are the South Bronx and East Harlem. more ›

Given the conspicuous absence of farmers in New York City, the decision to stage a Farm Aid benefit here may seem surprising. But when one considers the booming popularity of Greenmarkets throughout the city, the metropolitan locale makes a certain sense. This year’s Farm Aid will feature an abundance of organic food on sale from local farms, so health-conscious New Yorkers are sure to feel right at home. And for one week starting today, top city restaurants like Angelica Kitchen and Gramercy Tavern will offer family farm meals using sustainable, humane farming practices. The all-day event takes place this Sunday on Randall's Island; the line-up boasts Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and many more. (Buy tickets here.) more ›

The Reggae Carifest set to happen at Randall's Island this Saturday may get the plug pulled. amNewYork reports that Power 105 withdrew its sponsorship in response to two artists on the bill having anti-gay language in their songs. The artists, Buju Banton and Bounty Killer, have a history of inflammatory lyrics. Banton's song "Boom Bye Bye" speaks of burning and shooting gay men, while Bounty Killer's song "Another Level" suggests drowning them. The Dancehall reggae artists are part of a long history that genre has in advocating anti-gay violence. more ›

There are lots of great stories about how couples meet. Kindergarten, the Peace Corps, a subway platform, by chance at a bar, you name it. But we love this Daily News story about how one couple met, because it appeals not only to the romantic in us, but to our respect for jury duty: Traci Nagy and Jonathan Cinkay met while serving on the same jury during a Queens murder trial. A fellow juror told Nagy "I thought you should date John," and Nagy explained to the News, "We were in the jury room so much and we weren't allowed to talk about the case. We talked about movies, travel, everything. It was a very good way to get to know someone." more ›

We're getting reports of a blackout on the Upper East Side, from the East 60s up to Harlem, on Third Avenue (mostly about transit blackouts) and York Avenue in the 80s. Subway service is affected - the 4/5/6 line is down. A reader whose friend was at Randalls Island says a Con Ed station exploded. more ›

Country and city will converge as American farmers get support from a Farm Aid benefit concert held in New York - taking place on Randall's Island this September 9th. more ›

A 17-foot motorboat called "Bite Me" was capsized by the wake of a passing tugboat yesterday afternoon and a group of six people were thrown into the water. The boat's owner was taking a friend and his family, including his wife, two daughters and a nephew, for a cruise around the Statue of Liberty. On the return trip, their boat was swamped by the passing tug and all six people were in the water for about ten minutes until a passing yachtsman came to their aid. One witness was unimpressed by other boaters' behavior. "Private boats kept passing and no one stopped to help. 'It really shows what New Yorkers are made of,' said witness Jack Eisenkeit, 59." more ›

One of the nice things about being a music fan in New York City is that you rarely have to wait very long to see a band you're recently missed. The Black Lips famously played about 6,000 shows at SXSW this year, yet despite our interest in checking them out, we managed to catch them exactly zero times (with our final chance being cut short by that whole collapsing balcony thing.) So we were stoked to discover they were going to play last Monday back home at Bowery Ballroom. The show lived up to our ever inflated expectations and managed to bring the house down with their drunken-fried punk. While their "wild boyz" antics may seem a bit forced at this stage in their careers, the music more than holds up on its own. It's not easy to play such sloppy rock and roll so precisely. (Pic via Sandwich!) more ›

The city's Franchise and Concession Review Committee is scheduled to vote this coming week on whether or not to approve a proposal to have twenty Manhattan private schools pay for part of the renovation of Randall's Island athletic fields in return for exclusive use of a majority of the fields. The plan, which is separate from the controversial water park, calls for schools such as Dalton and Spence to pay the city $52 million dollars over twenty years. The city would kick in an additional $18 million for the fields, and $53 million for island infrastructure. In return for the payment the schools would get exclusive 3-6 p.m. use of at least two-thirds of the 63 playing fields. more ›

At my window sad and lonely, by Brainware3000. more ›

Holiday shopping got the best of you? Why not head out to Randall's Island tomorrow to watch some rugby at the 48th Annual NY 7s Tournament. Matches start at 8 AM and run all the way until 5:30 PM. The long list of teams (90 plus teams) participating includes teams from around the United States, Canada and Europe. There even seems to be a team all the way from Hong Kong. The NY 7s Tournament is the oldest and largest sevens tournament in the United States. more ›

broadway-nassau by joe holmes. more ›

After doing some research, we were able to find a couple other options for miniature golf around the city in addition to Randall's Island and Coney Island. more ›

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- Giants 6, Mets 4: The Giants and Mets waited out a rain delay before the first game of their single ticket doubleheader before San Francisco picked up the victory. Former Met Armando "Who Let the Dogs Out" Benitez picked up the save in a way that every Met fan can remember - walking two batters before getting the save. Of course, that's assuming he even got the save when he was with the Mets. Barry Bonds was 2-3 with 2 walks, 1 RBI and a run scored. more ›