Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on Austin Rd. in Queens, another bank robbery on Church Ave. in Brooklyn, and a police car vs. scaffolding in Manhattan; the scaffolding has been compromised. A Queens high school was locked down this afternoon for two hours after a student's 'To Do' list was found listing seven students "To kill today." The projected cost of restoring the separate homes that constitute Admiral's Row at the......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A fatal car accident in Manhattan at 55th and 12th Avenue, a water rescue on West 50th and a three-alarm fire at a Bronx post office Cute animal maternal instincts alerts: A Central Park turtle tried to lay her eggs at Wollman Rink and there's a cute shot of a hawk and her baby hawk at City Birder The Post lists NYC's most 50 powerful women: Mayor Bloomberg's squeeze......

THEATER: At the end of December 2003, with her daughter in an induced-coma brought on by septic shock from a fatal bout with pneumonia, Joan Didion’s husband John Gregory Dunne unexpectedly died during dinner. Her struggle to navigate the subsequent minefields of grief formed the basis for her best-selling memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking. She’s now adapted the book into a one-woman play of the same name, directed by David Hare and starring Vanessa......

A few days ago, Gowanus Lounge reported that Prospect Park is getting a $25 million skating facility with two rinks – one for hockey and one for recreational use. The plan was presented by Prospect Park Alliance President Tupper Thomas at a recent Park Slope Civil Council meeting. Then yesterday, the Lounge unearthed an even better scoop: Husband-and-wife team Tod Williams and Billie Tsien will design the facility. The source? A posting by Mr. Williams......

The Rink at Rockefeller Center is 70 years old today. The rink, in the heart of Midtown and unrivaled for many years (until the Bryant Park's Pond opened), first opened on Christmas Day in 1936. Being located right by the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and the Today Show studios has helped its popularity. It seems to be open today - here are more details. There are also skating options nearby - there's Bryant Park's Pond......

You know how we know it's almost winter, besides feeling the chill in the air? The fact that Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park is opening today. This year happens to be the 20th anniversary of the rink's re-opening, thanks to Donald Trump's chutzpah and swooping in to take over renovations from the city (the city had been "working" on the rink for 6 years). Admission to the rink is $9.50 weekdays/ $12 holidays/weekend......

Holy Acme Company! Reporters on the respective parks, animals-on-the-loose, and Canis latrans beats hit the trifecta yesterday, with news that there was a coyote wandering around Central Park, not too unlike a tourist in awe of the 800+ acre urban oasis. Visitors to the park reported seeing a wolf-like animal yesterday afternoon, and even Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe saw the coyote (and then hit speed dial to the press office to round up some reporters).......

With the proposed chill coming this weekend, we thought it would be a good to remind everyone that the city's ice skating rinks will be closing on April 2. Yes, the Pond in Bryant Park has been closed since January and Prospect Park's rink closed last weekend, but there's still the Abe Stark Rink at Coney Island, World’s Fair Ice Skating Rink in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the Staten Island War Memorial Ice Skating Rink......

Of course, after the storm of '06 hits we suggest snowball fights. Prior to the snowfall, however, we offer up the following... BENEFIT: Just when we were talking about band gear getting stolen from the streets of this city, it's done and happened again. Bravo Silva's guitars were stolen last weekend and this weekend deejay crew Finger on the Pulse will donate the proceeds from their weekly party to raise money for them. Raffles and......

Last month was the fourth driest September ever. Less than half an inch of rain fell. As of 3 p.m. this month is the third wettest October, only 0.03 inches behind 1913 for second rainiest, and less than half an inch from the wettest October. Unless a drought sets in immediately, that old record is toast. Mark Gothamist's word! After getting the October record, it'll be a stretch to break the all-time record –September 1882's......

Today, the Parks Department will announce that Bryant Park will get a skating rink from October 28 until January 15. The New York Public Library had been worried that a rink would damage an underground book storage area, but say, "The concerns we've raised are being addressed and we know that Bryant Park, with its views of the library's Beaux-Arts facade, will provided a beautiful setting for skating this winter." And how. The rink, called......

Life takes on insanely surreal proportions when the local real estate egomaniac/ punchline about hair/ reality star goes to Washington to testify about real estate development. At least, Gothamist thinks so. Donald Trump testified in front of Congressional leaders to explain why the U.N.'s plans for their redevelopment are terrible. The U.N. has been contemplating various options, including moving its headquarters to Brooklyn, in order to secure enough space for its offices. Trump thinks that......

While NYC's ice rinks are tempting, as well as a fun time, you do tend to hear stories about people breaking an arm or slipping. And since it involves people on thin blades of metal on ice, it's not that surprising. That's why, even though we know we're living in the most litigious city in the country, Gothamist was taken aback when we read skating-related lawsuits have topped $100 million. The city hasn't had......

Today's NY Times piece about New York Region > Lions in Front, and Ice Out Back?" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/10/nyregion/10bryant.html">proposed plans to put a portable skating rink in Bryant Park during the winter has some great information about where you can skate in New York City: - Rink at Rockefeller Center (Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets): $14 on weekdays, $17 on weekends; does not include skate rentals - Wollman Rink in Central Park (east side of......

Geoff Wolinetz, Freelance Satirist...

It seems like there is a crime spree in Prospect Park. A man was beaten and robbed during daylight, near Kate Wollman Rink, and just yesterday, two men were arrested, suspected of two separate attacks with box cutters, again during daylight, near Grandy Army Plaza and then at Montgomery and 8th Avenue. This comes after earlier attacks (one while a woman was running, the other an attempted rape). There were talks of reducing the number......

Now Central Park can say it has carnies: Victorian Gardens, a mini-amusement park, has opened up for the summer in the park at Wollman Rink. Newsday takes a look at the Victorian Gardens, which was created in part of celebrate Central Park's 150th Birthday. Gothamist checked out the site Zamperla, the company who made the nine rides, and it seems that the rides in Central Park are all the "family" ones. Gothamist will be......