The owners of the rooftop Ronald McDonald have stepped forward! We received the following email today from one of them (Ali), telling us:That's my apartment featured in your Ronald McDonald story; it actually was not stolen; my roommate [Michael] saved it from McDonald's garbage one night and then lugged it up five flights of stairs. He's a hero if you ask me.Ronald used to reside near a piano inside the McDonald's but was dumped in......

A McDonald's on the corner of 56th and 8th in Manhattan is missing a Ronald -- but an aerial view of the area shows him safe and sound lounging on a private rooftop. Williamsboard posters report, "someone who lives in the six-story building next door took advantage of a second floor window that lets them out onto the McDonald's roof...". View the full shot after the jump.......

The incoming president of the Obesity Society has resigned amidst controversy surrounding his work on behalf of the restaurant industry. Last month Dr. David B. Allison (pictured), a professor of biostatistics and nutrition at the University of Alabama, drew fire from colleagues when he submitted an affidavit questioning the city’s new rules requiring chain restaurants to prominently display calorie information on their menus. The Obesity Society supports the requirement, which will go into effect at......

Starting in the afternoon, the masses traveled to the Upper West Side yesterday to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons get inflated on West 77th and West 81st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. By 6PM, crowds were penned in for blocks - it took us about 30-40 minutes of shuffling and snaking around before we could get close to any balloons. We suspect the Broadway stagehands' strike as well as......

Tomorrow is one of our favorite days of the year: The annual Thanksgiving Eve inflation of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons! This year, there are twelve giant balloons: Dora the Explorer, Kermit the Frog, Healthy Mr. Potato Head (he's wearing a jogging suit), Scooby Doo, Ronald McDonald, Pikachu w/Poke-Ball, Energizer Bunny, Flying Ace Snoopy, and JoJo's Circus will be joined by new balloons Abby Cadabby, Shrek, and Super Cute Hello Kitty! As if Hello......

A quiet day on the Gothamist Newsmap: a stabbing in Inwood, a few fires in Brooklyn, and a number of traffic accidents. Are we damned to hear Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving Song every year from now on? It's become the Alice's Restaurant of the 21st Cenutry! The Times has a sad background piece on one of the women found dead in Atlantic City on Monday-- she had been working as a prostitute in the area.......

With weather advisories in effect, warning of storms and winds, city officials are contemplating what to do with Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. From the NY Times:The poor weather and heightened oversight could ground some or all of the 13 big balloons — 1 fewer than last year — that are set to fly today, starting at 9 a.m. In the best case, they could be flown so low as to practically be floats.......

Gothamist was taking a look at the various auctions ShopNBC has going to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Of course, our attention was squarely on the Law & Order: SVU Walk On role, where, if you have enough dough, you get to be a non-union background performer. And there's also a L&O: Criminal Intent Fan Package as well as a L&O: SVU Fan Package, including the infamous "Law & Orderopoly" board game Dick......

Some photos that readers have updated us with from yesterday's protest. - Nick alerted us to his gallery of yesterday's march, which includes this shot of the police hauling someone away. - Corie has some shots of the post parade protesters in Central Park. - Brooklyn Vegan has plenty of photos including one of showgirls against bush. - 114th.net hits us with several great shots including the one of the smelly bush above (which......

New reader Randi emailed Gothamist with this link to perhaps the best use of demonstration of wackiness at City Hall that does not involve the City Council, the Mayor, and some spinning: The Wise Owl, a Crash Test Dummy, Mr. Clean, and Tony the Tiger re-enacting Abbey Road (on what looks like Broadway) to kick off Advertising Week in NYC - which doesn't happen for another month. This other photograph shows Mayor Koch and other......