Glowing eyes peering down from trees and from behind gravestones, the night creatures are disrupting the eternal sleep of the dead and driving the living to distraction. Raccoons have proliferated at the famous Green-Wood Cemetery, digging up the grass over graves, eating the flowers left by mourners, and even invading crypts to scavenge for food. more ›

In 1988, the Jackie Gleason Bus Depot was renamed in memory of the Brooklyn native whose most famous role was acerbic bus driver Ralph Kramden on the classic television show The Honeymooners. In fact the logo for the depot is based on the title sequence for the show. The depot takes up several blocks on 5th Avenue in Sunset Park, across 36th Street from Green-Wood Cemetery. It is one of five that serves Brooklyn... more ›

Open House New York weekend is coming up in 7 days and NewYorkology has a handy guide to which places you'll need reservations for this (the 5th) year, check it out here. Touted as America's largest architect and design event, OHNY opens usually locked doors throughout New York City each October (and sometimes Spring). more ›

There are likely many unsolved crimes in New York City's past, but this week, one 150-year-old case finally gets a sort of closure. The crime was well-documented as the Butchery on Bond Street. Love, money, Bellevue, dentists...all the usual makings for criminal behavior are accounted for, and amNewYork spoke to Benjamin Feldman, who has written a book, The Butchery of Bond Street. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck on York Ave. and Richmond Terr. on Staten Island, another pedestrian struck on 37th Ave. and Union St. in Queens, and a missing child on 12th Ave. in Brooklyn.
• Three teenagers were hospitalized after being stabbed immediately after school let out in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn yesterday afternoon. Two of the injured were also slashed in the face.
• The City is introducing a new public awareness campaign to help reduce accidents and fatalities of bicyclists in New York. "Avoiding a crash comes down to one simple action: LOOK," is the tag line that will appear on taxi roofs, bus stops, and phone booths.
• A murderer and her sugar daddy rapist victim finally receive headstones 150-odd years after being buried in Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery. "Never in my life have heard a story that incorporated so much dysfunction and sociopathic behavior between a man and woman."
• The New York City school district won the lion's share of the $1 million Broad Prize for proving to be "a model of successful urban school district reform." The $500,000 the district won will be distributed as scholarships to graduating students.
• Home foreclosures were up 30% year over year in New York City, with Brooklyn leading the way in people losing their homes. There were 1,032 foreclosures in the borough last month.
• A state appellate court overturned a New York man's conviction after he was arrested with a large quantity of heroin in his possession because the judge in his trial interfered excessively in the questioning of witnesses.
• A freelance photographer was shooting pictures in a garbage-strewn alley in Newark for a story about illegal dumping when he discovered the body of a dead woman wrapped in plastic. After reporting his find to Newark police he was questioned about his immigration status and had his camera confiscated when he admitted that his visa had expired.

The weekend before Halloween is always busy, and the city is filled with acitivities to keep you in the spooky spirit. Besides the Haunted Houses in different boroughs and Hell House at St. Ann's in Brooklyn, there are walking tours on Saturday and Sunday at the The Green-Wood Cemetery starting at 1PM. The Parks Department also has many different activities, including "Boo at the Zoo" events, Tompkins Scare Park, and the Pier of Fear. more ›

Today's City Section has a good FYI on New York City birds: more ›

Trying to figure out what to do this Halloween weekend? We've got some ideas that are just slightly better than *bobbing for PBR... more ›

It goes without saying that New York City is chock full of amazing buildings and spaces. And many of them aren't normally open to the public. But this weekend you can visit over 100 places throughout the five boroughs, free of charge, during the Second Annual Open House New York. more ›