In case you haven't heard, the Postal Service isn't doing so well these days. There have been layoffs, post office closures, and a recently-announced plan to kill off next-day mail. And New Yorkers aren't going to take it anymore! more ›

Two adults and a five-year-old boy were all hit by stray bullets in University Heights in the Bronx yesterday evening. It is unclear what caused the shooting at around 8:15 p.m. Friday night, but according to the News, the five-year-old was mindlessly munching on Chicken McNuggets on Grand Avenue with other kids when he was shot in the leg. "Everybody was out here chilling. All of a sudden, I heard the sound of gunshots. I just dived on the floor," said Adam Frias. more ›

With the notable exception of Brooklyn, the Outer Boroughs are a veritable wasteland when it comes, to bánh mí, or Vietnamese sandwiches. Despite repeated forays, we've yet to find any decent versions in Queens. Those that do exist are served in restaurants, and every bánh mí fiend worth his Sriracha knows that restaurants never serve a good Vietnamese sandwich; it's simply not in their best interests to sell $3.00 entrees. As with many sandwiches, the best bánh mí are found in mom and pop delis. We like to think that these refreshing sandwiches are at their best at delis because those joints specialize in bánh mí and little else. more ›

Gotham Gazette has an excellent look at the effects of "a housing bust" by Queens College demographer Andrew Beveridge. This map shows how much income goes towards mortgages; Beveridge notes:

The median income of those paying less than 30 percent of their income on housing is $120,900. For those paying between 30 and 50 percent of their income, though, the median is $74,390, and for those paying over 50 percent the median income is $39,900. more ›

New York has a small Cambodian community. The Fordham and University Heights sections of the Bronx are home to about 2000 Khmer immigrants. One of the more recent immigrants is Ratana Veth, Cambodian actress and karaoke star. (Note: The Times refers to the her as Ratana Veth but her internet fans invariably call her Veth Ratana). Veth married Tek Vandy, owner of the Battambang II grocery store on East Kingsbridge Road, last year and moved to the Bronx in September. more ›

Police are on the look out for a pair of serial-robbers in the Bronx. The duo (which the NYPD believe maybe the pair in the surveillance video to the left) are thought to be behind more than 18 robberies since July 10. Striking in the Bronx neighborhoods of University Heights, Forham, Kingsbridge Heights and Norwood their standard MO is to rob in elevators:

Police said the two men seem polite at first, holding the elevator for apartment residents. But once inside, they rob tenants while holding a gun to their heads, NewsChannel 4 reported.

- Borough Presidents should take the lead in encouraging civic engagement and private investment in parks to raise the level of safety and cleanliness. “Borough Presidents already play an integral role in building and repairing parks in their boroughs. The next logical step is for them to take the lead in creating more community stewardship to work with the Parks Department to ensure that each and every park is receiving the attention it needs,” DiPalermo said.You can read the Progress Report and past Report Cards here. more ›