This video starts with Giovanni da Verrazzano first entering the New York Harbour in 1524, and gives a very brief history of New York through the present day. The video is well-done aesthetically, but, confusingly, it's not in chronological order. The street grid gets created, then the Twin Towers go up, only to be immediately replaced by the Tribute in Light, and then Central Park and the subway system come along. And do you notice any buildings going up out of order as the skyline is created? more ›

Over 50 protesters [Ed: as of 2 p.m. today the count is 97] were arrested yesterday during a series of demonstrations organized by Occupy Wall Street to commemorate May Day. Prematurely dubbed a "dud" by Reuters, the long series of events that spanned many hours and much of the city itself culminated in tens of thousands of union members, students, and other demonstrators marching at a snail's pace down Broadway. Later that night, several thousand protesters massed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Plaza in Lower Manhattan before the police forced them to disperse or face arrest. more ›

The Sweatshop Union has released their track "Bill Murray" off The Billy Murray EP—and with it, this video. It is exactly what happens when Ghostbusters-obsessed kids grow up, smoke a blunt, listen to Eminem, embrace their inner nerds and against all odds acquire some mad rap skillz. Even poetry-loving Murray can't deny them their flow, or these lyrics: "No matter how hard you try you'll never wake up and be half the man me and Bill is was then and still is, hands down the Billest." more ›

And now, a Public Service Announcement from two girls in New Jersey, regarding accents and stereotypes: "Why do people make fun of people's words? People don't make fun of people from the South, like Texas... people just make fun of New Jersey. We don't put an 'a' at the end of everything, like 'mirra,' or 'sista.' And we don't always like to go tanning, that's not our favorite thing to do in the summer." And their final plea? If you're going to make fun of anyone, "Make fun of Staten Island!" Fair point, ladies. more ›

We can't decide if this video makes the subway seem beautiful, or creepy—but we like it! Put on some headphones, turn it up to 11, and enjoy five minutes in the subway system, without having to swipe your MetroCard. This was filmed as "a test/experiment to capture the inspirational sounds and visuals of the NYC subway" by Tim Sessler. It's just that, somewhere around the 3:40 mark we start to get the feeling that Jason Voorhees is about to jump out from behind a pole. more ›

The woman seen in a MTA surveillance video being beaten and apparently abducted at a Long Island Rail Road station has come forward to tell the MTA that she's "safe." more ›

Daredevil Jeb Corliss, who once attempted to base jump off of the Empire State Building, has now posted a video from his latest stunt, which landed him in the hospital. In January, the 35-year-old was in intensive care after a failed leap off of a 3,500-foot mountain in South Africa. Corliss smashed into the side of Table Mountain while HBO film crews were documenting him, and now he's released his helmet-cam footage—he warns it may be disturbing to some: more ›

Today was a big day for all of us: we found out there are now TWO Ryan Goslings. You know, basically. But it was even a bigger day for America's newest Ryan Gosling, who goes by the name Joey Thompson. Throughout the day the Gosling lookalike's video explaining "how to look like Ryan Gosling" has made its way around the internet, and now he's handling the viral after effects like a real pro. We asked him some questions... more ›

Don't have any Valentine's Day plans tonight? Join us, as we hate-watch others fall in love Hollywood-style, in the comfort of our own homes. Netflix and Amazon streaming will wrap you in their warm embraces with romantic plot devices that will make you wonder why you can't find love. Below, our picks for some rom coms you can watch tonight while you're celebrating this day alone. So so alone. more ›

We just stumbled across this footage of a man baiting and trapping pigeons on Wall Street last week... you know, during our afternoon search for fresh pigeon videos. The uploader, who did an amazing job soundtracking the video with "Free Bird," writes: "The Crocodile Hunter has got nothing on The Pigeon Trapper, as he does a little food shopping on Wall Street in Lower Manhattan." It's safe to say these pigeons are either being trained to race, or have been cooked up, squirrel style by now... what do you think? more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] This YouTube video has it all: a highly intoxicated person, an unsteady documenter, very little information, no closure, and an MGMT soundtrack. The footage was uploaded last night, and we've contacted the uploader to get more details about the scenario. But until we hear back, let's discuss: should the fellow straphangers have made more of a hands-on effort to help this guy out? Or were they all (except for the MTA worker who has a brief interaction with him) too drunk from the big game, too? more ›

We've spent the past few weeks looking back through Steven Siegel's photo archive, which beautifully retells the city's story over the past three decades, from the South Bronx to Bushwick. From utter destruction to Disneyfication. Turns out that Siegel also filmed what was going on throughout all that time, and his videos are no less spectacular. You can watch them all at his YouTube page (some even tell a story), and our favorites are below: more ›

James Franco is back on Twitter, it seems, with his newly created James Franco TV handle. That is, if it's really James Franco who's behind this. IF it is, it would appear the everyman is getting into the television biz, or more specifically, the web series biz (though surely this is art). Anyway, we have little information about this project, but Franco Tweeted a link to it yesterday, saying, "my new show," which is called Undergrads. more ›

In the event that you don't actually, for some reason, believe that the C train is the worst train in the city, allow the magic of film to prove it to you. ABC just took a little ride on the oldest cars in the MTA's fleet—which "sound like [they're] in pain" when they pull up to a station—and decided to put their camera on the floor to see just how shaky a typical commute can be. Check it out: more ›

In a move that few pretty much everyone saw coming, benevolent butter queen Paula Deen took to the Today show this morning to tell Al Roker that yes, she has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. But don't worry—she has a fancy new diabetes website and she's getting paid to endorse Novo Nordisk's Victoza medication, so she'll be just fine, even if she thinks talking about how much she's raking in from the deal is "tacky." more ›

Remember a few months ago, when seven-year-old Bobby Montoya gained national attention because he "liked girl stuff" and wanted to join his local Girl Scouts chapter? After a giant PR headache, the organization decided to let Montoya in, saying "if a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout." Despite the fact that Montoya didn't actually join his local troupe, the decision to allow him to do so instantly infuriated some conservative troupes, who called the move "extremely confusing" and an "almost dangerous situation." more ›

We don't even know where to start with this one: a crazily-eyebrowed Staten Island woman who treated her dog "better than most people treat their children" just paid $50,000 to have South Korean scientists clone him three years after his death. Oh, and she filmed it for a reality show, too. more ›

Construction to revamp the JFK's international terminal, Terminal 4, has been underway since 2010, with the goal to gussy up the outdated structure and add several new gates, among other things. Today, the Times takes a peek at how things are going over there, despite the fact that the project won't be finished until at least 2013. And what they found, is, surprisingly, kind of good? more ›

Remember last month, when a cyclist was really pissed that another cyclist locked in his bike, so he made a video about it? Well, apparently that same guy, Casey Neistat, has a penchant for making videos about small-scale street annoyances, and he's back with a new one focused around the hidden dangers of texting while walking. more ›

There's been a lot of ink spilled over the fate of the bluefin tuna recently—the hugely endangered fish is considered a delicacy by sushi enthusiasts, despite dire warnings from conservationists—just last week, a 600-lb bluefin caught near Japan sold for the world-record price of $736,000, or $1,238 per pound. But there is a possible alternative: Kindai bluefin, a somewhat more sustainable version of the prized fish, developed and "ranched" by Japan's Kinki University. It can be even more expensive than the real thing, and only a handful get flown to the US every week. more ›

And now, some heartwarming animal news before your weekend kicks off: this is Saber, a 10-year-old husky who lives with his human family in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey. Saber, who suffers from arthritis, bolted out of his house today for reasons unknown and ran onto the ice in the pond behind his house, where he slipped and fell through the ice. But he's okay! more ›

In case you haven't been counting the hours, here is your friendly reminder that Absolutely Fabulous, the riotous British comedy following the alcohol-fueled exploits of aging fashionista BFFs Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley), is returning the American televisions this weekend. Sweetie darling, pull up a chair! more ›

Behold this horrifying train wreck of a clip from the premiere episode of Food Network's latest reality juggernaut, Rachael Ray & Guy Fieri Celebrity Cook-Off, which, SPOILER ALERT, features former teen star Aaron Carter getting the kibosh for his nauseating rendition of "Southern Jalapeno Popper Macaroni Salad." more ›

Upstate big-box grocery chain Wegmans is none too pleased with native son Alec Baldwin's little Words With Friends-fueled airplane tantrum—due to customer complaints stemming from the outburst, they've dropped the commercials featuring Baldwin hawking the store. And oh, such great commercials they were! more ›

Don't you worry, Avery Jessup-Donaghy's fate will be influenced by real-life events. more ›

Gothamist does not condone shoplifting, but we can't help but be impressed by this video, in which a tiny woman uses the mystical power of a long skirt to hide a 24-pack of Guinness. What's truly magnificent is the way she continues to move fluidly, seemingly unencumbered by the huge, hops-filled weights (Pat Kiernan estimates the beer weighs at least 20 pounds). Little is known about the beer-lifter—did she get busted (presumably, no)? Is she the inspiration behind Black Magic Woman? We don't know, but from now on, she's making every beer run at the party. more ›

In a valiant attempt to save the deer he drunkenly hit with his car, Andrew Caswell picked up the injured animal, loaded it into his backseat, and was rushing it to the hospital before being rudely interrupted by cops. It did not end well for the deer. more ›

The holiday season is upon us, and with it brings all sorts of adorable things: festive sweaters, Yuletide logs, the occasional marriage proposal. Yes, indeed, tis the season for surprise proposals, like this one, at the touristy of all wintertime tourist destinations, Rockefeller Center's ice skating rink. more ›

Hey guys, are you looking forward to the January 1 premiere of Rachael vs Guy: Celebrity Smackdown as much as we are? You know the show—the new one on Food Network that "stars" "celebrities" like Cheech Marin and Coolio cooking for charity and, uh, one last desperate grab at the spotlight? Right! Well, now that New Year's Day is coming up, it's time for the first televised promos to roll out, like this one, in which we catch some memorable glimpses of the "chefs" in action, and get to hear some sage kitchen advice from Ray and Fieri: "SPRINKLE CHEESE ON TOP! PUT HOT SAUCE NEXT TO IT!" Which is exactly what Escoffier recommends in his guide to the fine art of cookery. more ›

Leave it to Michel Gondry to transform Martin Scorsese's gritty 1976 New York classic Taxi Driver into a charming, fantastical short film that's almost guaranteed to make you smile. Using the lo-fi "Sweding" technique he popularized in Be Kind Rewind, Gondry's version, created for the French premiere of Scorsese's Hugo, features colorful paint bullets, comically made-up pimps, and a truly fantastic baldcap-mohawk hairpiece. Gondry himself delivers the iconic "You talkin' to me?" line, though it's somehow less menacing coming from him than Robert DeNiro. more ›