At the sixth annual Fit City conference, held at the Center for Architecture yesterday, David Burney, the commissioner of the NYC Department of Design and Construction, declared it is time to bring back the staircase! Pretty sure we hike up plenty of stairs each day emerging from the subway, but more specifically, Burney said: more ›

Earlier this year shocking reports came out that taking the stairs is a healthier, more slimming alternative to, say, taking an elevator. Now USA Today is pretty much calling stairs the next exercise trend. The American Council on Exercise claims that stair climbing is one of the more effective ways to strengthen the glutes and leg muscles—it also provides a good calorie-burning cardio workout (better than walking or jogging). more ›

Indiana Pacers draft pick Lance Stephenson allegedly threw his girlfriend, Jasmine Williams, down the stairs and "slammed" her head into the bottom stair because she wouldn't pick up her phone while she was apparently on a girls' night out. A friend of Williams's dad told the Daily News, "He was calling her cell phone, she wasn't answering. This wasn't the first time this happened...The father spoke to [Stephenson's] parents before. They said, 'We aren't going to call the cops and mess up his career but this has to stop. Enough is enough.'" more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Local basketball phenomenon Lance Stephenson—called the "next LeBron James" on his web series—was arrested yesterday for allegedly pushing his girlfriend and mother of their child down the stairs at her Brooklyn apartment. Stephenson, 19, was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and weapons possession, though it's unclear what the weapon was. His 21-year-old girlfriend, Jasmine Williams, is being treated for head and neck injuries at Coney Island hospital. more ›

And just like that, Lady Liberty's crown will be closed to the public again—along with the rest of her! The crown just reopened again last year, after being closed off since just after 9/11. According to the NY Post, the Statue of Liberty will be closed for security upgrades starting starting sometime next Fall, meaning no visitors will be allowed in the crown, base or pedestal for up to 12 months. The park surrounding the statue will be the only thing visitors can access during the time—which happens to be the Lady's 125th anniversary! Guess she deserves a vacation. more ›

A Brooklyn teacher at the high-school for Innovation in Advertising and Media was caught on surveillance camera faking a tumble down the stairs to get out of a classroom observation by her supervisor, according to a report by the Special Commissioner of Investigation. It seems that teacher Ilene Feldman didn't quite "sell" the tumble, and after reviewing the footage, investigators concluded that she faked it to postpone a performance review that she feared would be negative. Honey, improvisation is no substitute for rehearsal! more ›

Wait a second... aren't we thinner than the rest of the country, what with not having easy snack access? There's always room to be healthier, however, and the NY Post reports that an environmental panel can save us from gaining a total of 550,000 pounds per year. Their slimming solution is simple: use the stairs! more ›

While we were sipping lattes in the elevator ride to our fifth floor office this morning, thousands of over-achievers were making us look like pathetic sedentary blobs by racing up all 86 flights of the Empire State Building. Hundreds of fitness buffs from 17 different countries competed in the 32nd annual "Run-up," climbing a vertical distance of 1,050 feet and ascending over 1,500 steps. For the third-straight year, the women's winner was Suzanne Walsham of Singapore, with a time of 13 minutes and 26 seconds. more ›

The city has a new message to spread: "Take the Stairs!" As part of an effort to get people to "Burn Calories, Not Electricity" the city's health officials are putting the posters up everywhere, hoping to get you to think twice before hopping on the elevator. more ›