Have you seen the copper-toned glow emanating from Rockefeller Center? It's not The Tree...it's a penny harvest field! The installation is the first phase of Penny Harvest, and the copious coins came from students in NYC who have collected $1 million in change. The pennies will later go to different charities and towards improving the students communities.New York first lady Silda Wall Spitzer joined hundreds of public school children on Monday to unveil a mass......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting at Edwards Ave. in the Bronx, a disorderly crowd at Bay St. and Richmond Ave. on Staten Island, and a bank robbery near Bowling Green (that's why the 4/5 is passing Bowling Green). The New York Sun thinks the Live Earth concerts over the weekend were pompous, middle-aged and lame. Real estate group Pinnacle is accused of racketeering for siccing lawyers with eviction notices on thousands of......

The Rink at Rockefeller Center is 70 years old today. The rink, in the heart of Midtown and unrivaled for many years (until the Bryant Park's Pond opened), first opened on Christmas Day in 1936. Being located right by the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and the Today Show studios has helped its popularity. It seems to be open today - here are more details. There are also skating options nearby - there's Bryant Park's Pond......

Now that the big tree is lit, Rockefeller Center draws tourists like moths to a flame. You may even find yourself under its sway. The tree is pretty impressive after all—more than 65 feet tall and adorned with more than 30,000 lights. But when the crowds swarm and the cold bites, remember relief is not far away. Just duck into La Maison du Chocolat, around the corner on 49th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues,......

- Insurance for your kids isn't just for your kids anymore. - The blackout this summer cost the city some odd $2.5 million in overtime! - The Times catches up with Costo who simply can't find a good location in Manhattan. - A bodega biggie is in trouble for scamming international calling card companies. - The city owes a 21-year-old woman for failing to protect her from sexual abuse when she was toddler living......

Where is the best place for an unforgettable smooch in the city? The Daily News put together a list (Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, the Rock Center Skating Rink, The Cloisters, Battery Park Promenade) but we think its a bit Manhattan-centric. What about the Coney Island Boardwalk? The Staten Island ferry? The Brooklyn Heights Promenade? The Botanical Gardens? Not to mention the great Manhattan spots they still managed to miss (top o' a skyscraper anyone?).......

The International Olympics Committee eliminated New York as a possible site for the 2012 Olympics in the second (of four) round of voting. Gothamist thought that watching the city selection process (starting at 6AM) was incredibly bizarre: The IOC Chairman comes out, tells how many votes were given, how many people voted, what the majority is, and then matter-of-factly says something like, "New York will not proceed to the next round of voting." When Moscow......

This week's New York Magazine highlights the mozzarella "mini-trend" that they claim is sweeping the city. We're convinced that fresh mozzarella is always in style, although we will admit, we're particularly partial to it in the summertime, paired with a ripe tomato, some basil, and a drizzle of good olive oil. While we wait for the 30-plus varieties on the menu at Mario Batali's Mozza Bar, which New York Mag reports will be opening......

There's nothing Gothamist likes free movies and a gimmick, and Rockefeller Center has both next week: Rockefeller Center is turning into a drive-in movie theater for screenings of three anticipated independent films. Garden State, directed and starring Zach Braff, co-starring Natalie Portman and Peter Saarsgard, will on Tuesday, June 8th, followed by Napoleon Dynamite (you've seen the trailer with the extremely geeky and/or mildly autistic kid in it) on Wednesday and Danny Deckchair (Rhys Ifans,......

Rockefeller Center got its Christmas tree as Rock Center's garden staff cut down a 79-foot and 9 ton tree from Manchester, Connecticut. Owner Frances Katkauskas told the AP, "My heart is breaking. But it's my Christmas gift to New York. It's sad in a way for us, but we've had her for so many years and it's a pleasure to let everybody else see it and enjoy it." She will be there for the tree......