In May a lavishly appointed homage to New Orleans's French Quarter opened in the theater district. Called Bourbon Street Bar & Grille, the two-story restaurant evokes the Big Easy with gas lamps, wrought iron railings, reclaimed stained glass windows, and a massive high-topped bar that dominates the ground floor lounge, where Allen Boyd's classic New Orleans cocktails are served with all fresh ingredients and accompany a casual dining menu. Upstairs, there is an outdoor......

After a strike lasting over three weeks, Broadway stagehands and the league of producers sealed a deal late last night. Most of the 26 productions darkened by the standoff will open again tonight. The new contract is good for five years once the union rank and file votes to approve it, which they’re expected to do within the next ten days. (Local One's website has this announcement for members: "The strike is over. Do......

Yesterday Local One, the Broadway stagehands’ union, and the league of producers continued negotiations that had been stalled since last Sunday. Talks dragged on through the night and at 6:30am a union spokesman announced a 12 hour break. Though no details were given, it was said that “progress” had been made. An unnamed source told the Post that the two sides “had settled ‘the big issues’ and were continuing to hammer out details stalling a......

For the first time since November 8th, Local One, the stagehands’ union, is meeting with the Broadway producers’ league to talk it out. (Local One has been on strike since last Saturday over proposed changes to their contracts.) Insiders are expressing guarded optimism about the talks because they’re proceeding with the help of Disney’s senior V.P. of labor relations, Robert W. Johnson. Disney is not a member of the producers' league and thus not directly......

Both the League of American Theater Producers and Owners and Local One, the stagehands union have put their final offers for a contract agreement on the table. Distance between the two offers could mean that almost all Broadway shows will go dark in the near future. According to The New York Times there are no more negotiating sessions scheduled, so a lockout by the producers and owners looks likely. If that happens, only four shows......

For those of you with a car, here's a handy site. NYC Parking Garage shows daily and monthly rates for many many garages in Manhattan. You can find garage by selecting a neighborhood, putting in an address, picking a cross street, or choosing an attraction. And then type in when you're parking your car and voila, you'll get a map and list of the different rates. The site has a disclaimer ("although we strive......

- The Department of Transportation will add more credit card-accepting parking meters; they have been in the Theater District and will soon be added to parts of the Upper West Side, Long Island City, and Forest Hills - First foie gras, now lobsters - Whole Foods announces the inhumane treatment of lobsters is causing the grocery chain to stop selling them! - NYC is considering creating job centers for day laborers - Gammablog has......

The NY Times' City section chats with the proprietress of the New York Hamster House. Yes, the NY Hamster House, a shelter for homeless hamsters (and some gerbils). Jessica Wells started the shelter when she found some hamsters in the Theater District, and now she accepts hamsters as well as looks for prospective adoptive parents for a brood that includes Simone de Beauvoir (who is "concerned with the rights of women hamsters and the feminist......

It's the Wednesday and for theater lovers, that means it's matinee day. Of course, this will mean added traffic coming into the city for the 2 pm shows. So for those theater goers, we wish you luck in the traffic. If you live close to the Theater District, or are willing to walk, many shows have special holiday schedules and the Daily News is reporting that there's a "glut" of tickets available at TKTS including......

Imagine parking your car at a parking meter and paying with a card. Imagine not having to use a single quarter (let alone a nickel or a dime). On Monday that dream will become a reality for motorists parking in Bay Ridge, Forest Hills and the Upper West Side as parking meters in those neighborhoods will begin to accept pre-paid parking cards as well as quarters (meters in Long Island City already do this).......

Gothamist's obsession with Greek food has been well documented, but some New Yorkers may not know that Turkish food offers culinary delights that are similar to Greek food yet in many ways distinct. For 400 years, Greece was a part of the Ottoman Empire; one would imagine that during this time plenty of culinary influences were traded back and forth. Unfortunately, even today it can be difficult to parse out who influenced whom, and that's......

Will be in NY next month. Need a good restaurant for dinner after The Boy from Oz at the Imperial Theatre. Can you give me some choices? Many thanks. It's always an issue. Where do you go to eat after the theater? You want a unique dining experience, and not to end up at the Olive Garden. Here are some recommendations: There are several really great restaurants on 9th Ave. If you are willing to......