Is Upper East Side the new Queens? Because a series of manhole fires left hundreds of customers (and one customers could mean an entire apartment building of residents) without power from midmorning till late last night. One woman who was without power for over 12 hours complained, "It's terrible if that's how it's going to be. I'm upset with the whole city. Con Ed is becoming a nuisance." more ›

We're getting reports of a blackout on the Upper East Side, from the East 60s up to Harlem, on Third Avenue (mostly about transit blackouts) and York Avenue in the 80s. Subway service is affected - the 4/5/6 line is down. A reader whose friend was at Randalls Island says a Con Ed station exploded. more ›

“Sometimes when you walk on them, they shake,” said Erica Busby, 41, who was on her lunch break on York Avenue on the East Side. more ›

• Aurora Soho -- This Williamsburg joint has made it across the bridge. Executive Chef Riccardo Buitoni of Piedmont, Italy, brings his Slow Food passion to Manhattanites with an Italian menu and wine list. You'll find some of the Williamsburg favorites on the menu, like 10-hour slow roasted pork belly, and burrata with shaved grey mullet bottarga and agrumato oil, but there are a few newcomers for the new location -- castelmagno cheese raviolini and baby goat roulade with crispy artichoke. 510 Broome Street between West Broadway and Thompson, 212-334-9020.
• Saucy -- as one might expect from the name, this new Upper East Sider features over fifty sauces; the menu outlines recommended pairings with organic chicken, pasta, and sometimes beef. You'll see some traditional sauces, such as arrabiata or bordelaise, and others of Chef Simon Mann's creation, like the Bloody Mary -- a blend of tomato, celery, tabasco and vodka. 1409 York Avenue at 75th Street, 212-249-3700.
• Sandro's -- Sandro Fioriti has resurrected his Upper East Side outpost (leggings aren't the only thing from the 80's making a comeback). He'll be serving hearty Italian fare until 2 a.m., including sea urchin ravioli and a slew of house-infused grappas. 306 E. 81st Street, 212-288-7374.

The only previous owners of Rothko's "White Center" have been the Bliss family (founders of the MoMA) and David Rockefeller. Tuesday night, the painting will be on the auction block at Sotheby's. The rest of us who can't afford it can check it out starting today at Sotheby's (1334 York Avenue at 72nd Street) during the following times: more ›

Carlton Ingleton, an artist who also taught at Medgar Evers Colleges, was beaten to death by his son in his Crown Heights apartment. His son Assawa Ingleton had held his father, mother, pregnant wife, and their two children hostage for six hours, during which the son beat his father. The Daily News reports that when someone would try to help the father, Assawa Ingleton would hit him again. The ME's office said that Carlton Ingleton suffered "blunt impact injuries on the head and torso, a fractured rib, cuts of his liver and a brain hemorrhage." His wife, who was also injured, was the one who called the police after a friend convinced Assawa to let her go. more ›

-- Streetsblog has some coverage of the Houston Street cyclists rally yesterday: "Everybody who lives in this community knows Houston Street is a highway to hell. It's the death street." more ›

more ›

A splicer for Con Edison was seriously burned when an explosion occured inside the manhole he was working in at East 68th Street and York Avenue. Eugene Pearson had been repairing a cable when another cable caught fire, causing a "blast and...cloud of yellow smoke," according to the NY Post. Pearson was pulled to safety by another worker, and was treated for third degree burns. more ›

This evening, architects Thom Mayne of Morphosis (pictured above, explaining his vision to Mayor Bloomberg) and George Hargreaves of Hargreaves Associates discuss their proposed design for New York's Olympic Village. The design is one of five finalists for the 52-acre site on the East River in Queens, which will include housing for 17,000 athletes, green space, athletic fields and training facilities. more ›

$81.69 (highest price) at Duane Reades on the Upper East Side, Flushing, and off New York Avenue in Brooklyn more ›