Black Panthers' "field marshal" and "arms expert" Donald L. Cox died last month in France, the NY Times reports today. Cox had been living in exile since the early '70s after he fled the U.S. to evade a warrant for his arrest; he'd been charged as a conspirator in the murder of a Black Panther member who had been a police informer in Baltimore. But before he was indicted, Cox was a guest at a fundraiser for the Black Panthers at Leonard Bernstein's apartment in the Dakota in 1970. This party was made famous by Tom Wolfe's New York magazine feature "Radical Chic," in which Wolfe recalls Cox's speech to the posh people in attendance: more ›

Standing at just under 2 feet tall on a "tower" display stand, and containing around 800 pages -- there's a new book in town! And it's not going to fit in many people's apartments. more ›

This week, reports the Downtown Express, the Landmarks Preservation Commission recommended that architects incorporate elements of the Battery Maritime Building's original architecture into a proposed plan to renovate and expand the ferry terminal. The Dermot Company seeks to develop a glass boutique hotel (complete with roof lounge) and specialty foods marketplace above the Beaux Arts ferry terminal. more ›

The NY Times takes a careful, detailed look at the rising Museum of Arts and Design building at 2 Columbus Circle more than two years after preservationists failed to stop plans to radically alter the 1964 Edward Durell Stone building. more ›

FILM: A tribute to Jean Genet on film begins tonight at BAM. The focus will be on films inspired by the French writer, as well as Genet's own Un Chant D'Amour. BAM describes the festival further: more ›

The City Council unanimously reappointed four commissioners and appointed a new one to the Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday (via the NY Observer). Four of the five have ties to the outer boroughs. more ›

Last fall, preservationists failed to prevent the planned demolition of the Dakota Stables on West 77th And Amsterdam Avenue. Though preservationists were trying to have the Dakota Stables landmarked, the Landmarks Preservation Committee denied it landmark status because some of its facade was stripped by the developer - while it was being considered for landmark status! Talk about gaming the system. more ›

Ah, we knew the NY Times graphics department would come up with something fun after the NY Sun broke news that the posh Upper East 10021 zip code would be assigned to only some residents while others would get new zip codes 10065 and 10075. more ›

The Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday stalled Aby Rosen and Norman Foster’s proposed glass tower above the 1949 Parke-Bernet building at 980 Madison Avenue. While the commission didn’t formally reject the plan, it did not approve the addition or support a zoning waiver, two requirements for the project to proceed. All but one commissioner said during the public meeting at the Surrogate’s Court building that they could not support the building because of its scale, massing, materials and location. more ›

+ The Landmarks Preservation Commission has been doing its job, but what about the buildings and districts behind the numbers? Meanwhile, 980 Madison developer Aby Rosen says Tom Wolfe “should stick to writing books.” more ›

The Citizens Emergency Committee to Preserve Preservation hauled Mayor Bloomberg to New York State Supreme Court today for failing to reappoint or replace eight of eleven commissioners to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The commissioners’ terms have expired, which, the Committee alleges, violates the Administrative Code and the City Charter. more ›

Port Authority 9:45am, by Travis Ruse. more ›

Yesterday, there was a sprawling editorial (literally sprawling too - it covered two pages) in the NY Times Week in Review by Tom Wolfe. And in it, he ripped the Landmarks Preservation Commission, most of its commissioners, and Mayors Koch, Giuliani and Bloomberg a couple new ones. more ›

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. Then, heading uptown to the 92nd St. Y (Lexington Ave. and 92nd St.), everyone's favorite journalist-slash-novelists Tom Wolfe and Pete Hamill are sitting down for a discussion on New York: Fact and Fiction. It starts at 8PM and will cost you $25. more ›

Kate Wood, executive director, LANDMARK WEST! more ›

Tickets for Robert Deniro’s lovechild have gone on sale, offering over 150 films, documentaries, a free movie “drive in”, and an outside street fair. While movies range from the highly praised and much hyped Mad Hot Ballroom, be aware that acclaimed home video actress Paris Hilton’s horror opus House of Wax will also debut. So please, don’t drink and buy tickets. Highlights include: more ›