As most of yesterday's political news attention was on the fate of Florida's and Michigan's delegates, presidential hopeful Barack Obama announced his family "withdrew their membership at Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ." The church, which he has described as where he found his spirituality, had become a favorite target of opponents, after it was reported his former pastor and mentor Jeremiah Wright made remarks implying America got what it deserved on September 11 and......

THEATER: We saw Fiona Shaw in Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days on Saturday and highly recommend it. Shaw is mesmerizing in her performance as Winnie, crystallizing in her 90-minute virtuoso performance all the desperation, self-delusion and absurdity of an entire lifetime. (Her little-seen costar Tim Potter is also a hoot as Willie.) The production is as bitterly funny as it is affecting, and, as a metaphor, the blasted landscape that devours Winnie is as potent as......

Earlier this week, a National Labor Committee report claimed that crosses sold at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity Church and other churches were made in Chinese sweatshops. The NLC said that the Singer Company employed young women at 26 cents an hour and forced them to work a 100 hours a week; plus, the woman are docked pay for food and boarding, leaving them with pay of just 9 cents an hour. You can read......

For those not wanting to hit the big Halloween parade (led by today's interviewee) there are other options: Park Slope's Halloween Parade (info here), Clinton Hill's Halloween Walk (info here) Prospect Park South's Halloween Parade (info here) and Williamsburg's Witches Walk (info here). EVENT: Hallowe'en is Happening Downtown at Trinty Church where both both kids and adults will find spooky spectacles tonight. For the little ones there will be an early evening filled with games,......

Tomorrow, the city and other organizations will mark the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Here's the official city commemoration:7AM: Families start to arrive at Zuccotti Park, where the ceremony will take place. 8:40AM: Mayor Bloomberg begins the program, which includes first responders reading victims' names and readings from NY Governor Spitzer, former NY Governor Pataki, NJ Governor Corzine and former NYC mayor Giuliani. Bagpipers and drummers lead......

Reader Bill Leahy recently scanned a number of slides that his father took in New York City during the 1950s. Above is a picture of the intersection of Main St. and Northern Blvd. in Flushing, Queens. There are many more pictures that are fascinating looks at the city more than a half century ago. Looking westward up Wall St. at Trinity Church. City Hall when pedestrians could still stroll right past the front steps.......

If you went by Trinity Church this past weekend you probably would have never guessed that there were bells ringing and that the tower was hosting a North American Guild of Change Ringers event with bell ringers from throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Thanks to special sound controls, the work of the ten to twelve bell ringers was muffled to those who weren’t actually in the bell tower.......

Despite having been defeated in a City Council vote, where his chief of staff heckled Council Speaker Christine Quinn and threatened a black councilman with assassination, Councilman Charles Barron renamed a street in Brooklyn "Sonny Abubadika Carson Avenue" anyway, declaring that the renaming "is official whether they [presumably the city] take that sign down or not." Sonny Carson's name was struck from a list of people who would get honorary street signs earlier this spring.......

The state legislature in Albany is prepared to issue a formal apology for the historic practice of slavery and will be the first northern state in the Union to do so. Several states on the Confederate side of the Civil War have already issued similar apologies. Albany lawmakers are pushing to pass the resolution in time for "Juneteenth", which is an unofficial holiday celebrating the June 19th arrival of federal troops in Texas to......

Forget Slimer, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and Dr. Peter Venkman, here come the real paranormal investigators! Lead by Certified Paranormal Investigator Dom Villella, Paranormal Investigation of NYC has been looking for ghosts since 2003. Gothamist sat down to chat with the leader of these real life ghost hunters. What are a few of the places in NYC that are haunted or rumored to be haunted that people can visit on their own? Trinity Church......

In light of the sad fate of St. Brigid on 7th and B, Fortotten-NY points our attention to the beautiful church in the above photo, St. Savior's. Where is this looker? Would you believe Maspeth, Queens? A Gotham history lesson! Way back in 1847 U.S. Congressman James Mauricce donated land across the street from his home (which still stands) to the Episcopal Church which founded St. Savior's. In the original deed there is a......

For our Sunday dose of wall alarmism, Gothamist enjoyed the NY Times examination of 126 retaining walls with "cracks, bulges and leaks", because now we'll be walking the streets, wondering if the wall next to us will suddenly collapse. Most retaining walls are located in the Bronx and northern Manhattan, because they are the hilliest parts of the city, but you may now notice retaining walls wherever you go, like around the cemetary at Trinity......

It's New Year's Eve, and the city is ready to rock and roll. There are many events to choose from, although there seems to be a number of people content with staying in. The Post had some fun New Year's facts, like there are about 57 tons of litter that will be collected, wet confetti is harder to pick up than dry, and "Before Times Square, New Yorkers rang in the new year at Trinity......

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