Under at 26-foot statue erected in the middle of Times Square, hundreds of people gathered in costume yesterday to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II—and the anniversary of a very famous kiss. Couples re-enacted the Life magazine photo of nurse Edith Shain being kissed by a sailor on V-J Day at the countdown of "3,2,1, Kiss!" more ›

Newsday reports, "A 52-year-old Lindenhurst resident annoyed his neighbors by hanging a Nazi swastika flag from the chimney of his house - until his mother made him take it down." Greggs had initially refused, but the media attention prompted Richard Greggs' 75-year-old mother to ask him to remove it. She noted he had done nothing illegal, "He's just into everything with World War II. He has no affiliation with [the Nazi Party]." more ›

A World War II veteran was finally awarded medals for his service—64 years after his duty. In a ceremony in Brooklyn, Pasquale "Pat" Caroselli was presented with six medals—"A European-African-Middle Eastern Service medal with six Bronze stars. A Good Conduct medal. An American Campaign medal. A World War II Victory medal. An Honorable Service lapel button."—and Rep. Anthony Weiner did the honors. Caroselli, who had been a machinist during the war, explained that he didn't collect the medals in 1945 because he was in a rush to get home; when he tried to apply many years later, it turned out a fire destroyed his records. His family was over the moon; his son said, "I'm really thrilled, especially on Memorial Day, to see him receive his medals, which he earned over six decades ago, it's just fantastic." more ›

Now that the cold weather is likely here to stay, at least until the next freak 60 degree day, you might want to hunker down with a cozy-sounding book. more ›

New York City officials are planning for a Dunkirk-like evacuation of Manhattan island in the case of an emergency. In the early days of World War II, a "bathtub navy" was assembled between Dunkirk, France and Dover, England, in order to move hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the Continent to safer ground as the Nazis advanced across France. Hundreds of small craft were sent across the English Channel to ferry stranded and cornered British troops back to England. more ›

Brooklyn writers are banding together to be the latest voice against Bruce Ratner's vision for Atlantic Yards. A number of local wordsmiths have contributed to Brooklyn Was Mine, an anthology consisting of short essays and stories put together by two Vogue editor to benefit Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn (a non-profit that fights development while uniting the community). From the press release:

"Brooklyn has given birth to some of America's greatest literary voices," note the anthology's co-editors, Chris Knutsen and Valerie Steiker. "Today, a new generation of authors has grown up or resettled here, a testament to Brooklyn's unique quality of life. These writers simply want to protect a community that has provided them with so much. Fortunately, the passion they feel for the place has yielded a vibrant collection of essays—and we are delighted that, with each book sold, something will be given back to Brooklyn."

Chumley’s owner Steve Shlopak recently poured his heart out to The Observer, admitting that the former speakeasy is now “just a dirt hole” with only two walls still up! The 1831 West Village landmark was closed in April when a chimney collapsed during repairs on an interior wall. Shlopak went into further disheartening detail:The rest of the building is held up with construction scaffolding. There is no ceiling and there is no floor... It’s almost... more ›

Yesterday was the city's day to honor and remember veterans of the U.S. armed forces. The 88th annual Veterans Day Parade started with the Eternal Light Monument Ceremony in Madison Square Park, followed by a parade up Fifth Avenue to 56th Street. An estimated 20,000 gathered for the parade, and there were veterans from World War II, Korean War, and the Iraq War. Mayor Bloomberg said, "You should know that 70 New Yorkers have given... more ›

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck on 160th St. and Archer Ave. in Queens, a shooting on East 119th St. in Manhattan, and a construction accident on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, Before anyone accuses A-Rod of greediness for spurning an offer of $30 million a year, let it be known that would make the top-performing athlete a pathetic piker among NYC earners. Maggie Gyllenhaal acclimates to Brooklyn: She isn't comfortable with her... more ›

The serenader of the 50 states, Sufjan Stevens, grew his midwestern roots and reached New York in the late 90s -- where he has resided since. So it's only fitting a tribute to our state has arrived, after nearly a decade of soaking up the city. And perhaps separating himself from the rest of the city, he's found something special in the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. As announced this summer, Sufjan's latest muse is none other than the BQE, something he chose when commissioned by BAM to create an arrangement with a Brooklyn theme. more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

Marko Perkovic (known as Thompson on stage, portrayed by Kitler at right) is coming to town, and the protesters are awaiting -- with good reason. The Croatian rock star is known for nostalgically warbling for the Ustaša regime and glorifying the Nazis in his songs, and we can't imagine his anti-Semitism sing-a-longs are going to be very popular here in New York. The musician isn't all about the controversial topics (though it does get him lots of publicity), he also croons tunes about God and family. Can these lighter topics balance out his glorification of war and his nation's Nazi past? No...but he'll be bringing his full set for two shows to the Croatian Center in Midtown next month anyway.

In past concerts, he has performed an anthem of the country's Nazi-backed military regime — the Ustaša — that references extermination camps where tens of thousands of Jews, Serbs, and Gypsies were killed during World War II. He greets adoring crowds with a famous Ustaša slogan — and many respond with the Nazi salute. more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

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RALLY: Barack is back! This time he's hitting up Manhattan with an evening rally in Washington Square Park. It's gonna be a big one, so get there early! At least this time there won't be any unhappy paying customers, because it's free! Check out his video invite: more ›

When you're 85-years-old and a World War II veteran, dying by way of parallel parking is not the way to go. And luckily, John Tyrrell is no worse for wear after driving his car off a cliff in the Bronx. more ›

The season really gets underway this week so a lot of old favorites like The Simpsons, Heroes, and Boston Legal (along with some that shouldn’t be like The Batchelor) are back so you do know what to expect with them. more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

Museum of the Moving Image, through Sept. 30 more ›

We're less than a week away from the Times Square Kiss-In! more ›

Covering Coverage
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A look at some noteworthy programs this week:
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There's a fascinating obituary in the NY Times today for Harvey J. Weinstein (no relation to the movie producer). Weinstein died on May 13 at age 82 in Manhattan, and while he was once the head of the biggest tuxedo manufacturer, he gained a different kind of notoriety when he was kidnapped in 1993 by a man who worked at one of Weinstein's companies as a collar maker. more ›

(directed by Clint Eastwood) more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

Anna Wintour, Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquière, and Cate Blanchett hosted last night's annual Costume Institute gala, which was a celebration of Paul Poiret, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Poirot was the pioneer in modern fashion, and freed women from petticoats and corsets - though many, even those in attendance last night, aren't familiar with him. Everyone did their best to dress "in the spirit of" the King of Fashion however, including: Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kirsten Dunst, Renée Zellweger and many other bold-faced names (photos here). more ›

to say everybody — but if you look at the statistics, it tends to be people who can afford it because otherwise they’ll take mass transit. more ›

SCIENCE: The UnCoolKids have done it again, scoping out the science events around the city. Tonight is Café Scientifique: more ›

A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›