Yikes: The Buffalo Police Department released this video of an 18-year-old man being struck by a hit-and-run driver, and it's pretty intense. It shows Victor Jerez and two other men walking in the street; they see a car coming, so they rush to the sidewalk. But the driver comes barreling onto the sidewalk, hitting Jerez and sending him flipping through the air. more ›

A new New Yorker, recently relocated from a small Texas town, is wondering about the walking habits of locals. This person posted on Reddit, asking, "I seem to have these instances... there will be 2-3 people walking side by side, taking up the entire width of the sidewalk. We'll be walking towards each other and, without fail, they won't 'shrink' to make room for anyone to pass. Is this a 'chicken' kind of thing? First person to move loses?" more ›

Longtime Tribeca pie hawker Bubby's has apparently been pissing off some sensitive types in the neighborhood who find the smell outside of the restaurant nothing short of repulsive. And they're not going to take it anymore! more ›

It's hot, it's summer, it's a Friday... that means you'll likely be seeing plenty of news outlets testing out the "frying an egg on the sidewalk" schtick today, and you might even spot a "sunny side up" pun. We chose to stay indoors because Bill Nye the Science Guy says this process could take about 22 minutes at 130 degrees, but we did venture over to YouTube for some visuals—check it out: an egg frying under the sun, and it only took 120 minutes. more ›

Sure, there are some common sense rules when walking on the sidewalks of New York City, but did you know this rule? A Park Slope parent was recently "accosted by a silver-haired woman and her cone-wearing dog" for talking on her iPhone while standing on the sidewalk and leaning against a brownstone. The older woman informed her: more ›

Canal Street: Avoid it at all costs (especially on weekends!) unless you enjoy walking at the pace of an arthritic dromedary chained to a treadmill. The sidewalks are so packed with vendors and their glazed-eye browsers that it's impossible to get anywhere in a timely manner unless you just give into your frustration and simply walk in the street. But help is on the way! For almost ten long years, NYMTC, the region’s metropolitan planning organization, has been studying Canal Street—taking time to get to know its likes and dislikes, its quirks and idiosyncrasies. And finally, in a report released last week, they're ready to recommend some changes. more ›

There was some concern a few weeks ago that a section of granite slab sidewalk in SoHo would be replaced with concrete, but the Landmarks Preservation Commission has ruled at a meeting [pdf] that if replaced, they should be replaced with the same lovely granite. According to our highly scientific poll, almost 87% of you will agree with the LPC's decision! The building's owner complained that granite is too expensive to fix, but what's money? Nothing but the best for the bottoms of New Yorker's shoes! [Via Curbed] more ›

The stone slab sidewalks between Broome and Mercer streets, part of the SoHo Cast Iron District, could soon be forgotten under a cold, hard layer of cement. And according to the Post, SoHo residents have mixed feelings. So, are these things charming or just a nuisance? more ›

Adults who ride their bikes on the sidewalk are a menace, and children on two wheels can be hazardous, too. In NYC, cyclists above the age of 12 are required by law to dismount their bikes and walk, not ride. For well over a year, the NYPD has been stepping up enforcement, even issuing summonses to annoying unicycle riders. But now it seems some cops want to rid the sidewalk of bikes completely, regardless of whether any butts are on the seats. more ›

A Greenpoint woman encountered a damaged sidewalk this weekend on her way to the marathon. A sidewalk so damaged, in fact, that it swallowed her whole! According to the Brooklyn Paper, Philippa Kaye walked right into the 3.5-foot deep hole, located at Flatbush and 5th Avenues in Brooklyn. She has photos, and she does not look happy in them (though one has to wonder how, in broad daylight, a person does not see a hole that large). more ›

The city has a website where homeowners can apply for help removing downed trees, tree limbs or tree stumps from the September 16 tornados, "Please be patient with your request, as Parks crews will be working first to clear streets so that emergency vehicles can get through, then removing trees fallen on or leaning on houses." Apparently the city has received 8,000 calls about tree damage—it's believed 2,000 trees were killed. more ›

In August of 1950, Modern Mechanix magazine ran an article called "I Shampoo the Sidewalks of New York," written by ex-sweater manufacturer Louis Schwartz, who ran the Sidewalk Sanitation Service (S.S.S.). He launched the service in 1949, with just one NYC department store manager letting him restore his sidewalks to a sparkling state (he claimed his "scientific, mechanized methods" would "restore beauty" to the pavement). By the time he wrote the article, he had many of New York’s leading stores and hotels on board, stretching over 40 city blocks; he was also The New Yorker's Talk of the Town in 1953. more ›

Hear that—nothing may be affixed via twine! Years ago, as the city was moving towards its shiny new newsstands, operators complained it offered less room for selling items. more ›

Remember that mysterious sidewalk lane separating tourists from New Yorkers that quickly became "the talk of the Internet" last month? After intense speculation about who was behind the gag, the pranksters have finally revealed themselves: It was Improv Everywhere, of course. This funny video shows them posing as DOT workers installing the "pilot" project, then enforcing the tourist/New Yorker separation, and even soliciting public comment from pedestrians about the project. more ›

Is the tourist sidewalk line that suddenly showed up earlier this week actually a work of Banksy? A tipster pointed us to Banksy's book Wall and Piece, which has several examples of his text work, which bear some resemblance to the sidewalk lane (you can see some of those examples above). Banksy pieces have been popping up all over the city during the past week since his arrival in NY, and the sidewalk line has simultaneously become the "talk of the internet." more ›

Yesterday Mayor Bloomberg finally weighed in on "the talk of the Internet"—the line chalked onto a Fifth Avenue sidewalk that tries to keep tourists out of the way of busy, important New Yorkers as they go about their big shot, world-turning business. The mayor's sunshine-and-daffodils spin on the tourist lane would have made Pollyanna roll her eyes: more ›

The line painted onto a Fifth Avenue sidewalk dividing pedestrian traffic into "Tourists" and "New Yorkers" was "the talk of the Internet" yesterday, reports the New York Post, which paid a professional journalist and photographer to go do actual reporting from the scene of the prank. (They even edited together a video segment.) The Daily News dispatched journalists, too! Both tabloids report divided opinions on the dividing line. more ›

Everyone complains about waddling gangs of tourists blocking the sidewalks of this fair city, but nobody ever does anything about it (beyond unleashing the occasional barnyard noise or cane swipe). Until NOW. As you can see from this photo, taken at 22nd Street and Fifth Avenue, some disgruntled local pedestrian has taken bold action to separate those of us taking care of business in this town from those who just come to marvel, slack-jawed and staggering, at our panicked, bug-eyed dynamism. Now we just need a lane for strollers and people who text while walking, and we'll be all set. [Via The Awl] more ›

A livery cab hit an elderly woman on 98th and Broadway yesterday after it apparently swerved onto the sidewalk, avoiding a collision with a left turning taxi. The impact from the taxi threw her against the wall, and she was taken to St. Luke's Hospital for possible head injuries. There appeared to be no damage to the car, and as of now no charges have been filed, which seems par for the course. [Via StreetsBlog] more ›

A Queens man and his dog are the latest victims of stray voltage. According to WPIX, 52-year-old James Evans was walking his dog Max in Far Rockaway at 2 p.m. yesterday when he felt a shock. Max managed to pull away after a few yelps, but Evans says he couldn't move. more ›

After increasing the cost of pooper scooper fines from $100 to $250, city inspectors issued far fewer tickets to dog owners who didn't pick up after their pooches last year. The number of pooper scooper violations plummeted from 903 in the fiscal year of 2008 to just 580 in 2009—but experts say the decline in tickets has nothing to do with the higher cost of the violations. more ›

The NYPD has been cracking down on bike riders who pedal on sidewalks in Chelsea and Gramercy. They issued 43 summonses in those neighborhoods during the last month, and about 90 percent of those ticketed were restaurant deliverymen, a police source tells the Post. The fine for riding on a sidewalk is $100. more ›

Hats, boots and sneakers aren’t allowed inside the exclusive China Club, but apparently knives are—three partiers at the Times Square night spot were stabbed early this morning, and one is dead from his wounds. No details yet about what sparked the knife violence, but police believe a fight broke out on the sidewalk when crowds of inebriated clubgoers spilled out onto the street at closing time. more ›

While electric shocks reaching through the sidewalk pavement can happen during any season — a Post reporter's dog died in June 2007, another shocked in August — most incidents take place during the winter months. This is because wet and salt-covered sidewalks can conduct stray electricity from underground utilities. more ›

A chain-reaction car crash claimed the life of a Marine Park senior on Monday. Edith Shaller, 88, was walking home from the doctor's office on Avenue U near the corner of Hendrickson Street at around 3:30 pm when a black Lexus sedan rammed a green Chevy van onto the sidewalk, pinning the grandmother against a light pole. more ›