Urbanite

* Hey you guys! The Electric Company is back and filming in the city. [Gawker]

* And a Gawker commenter dug up this child-mind-twisting Electric Company jewel.

* And while we're on the subject of '70s television, Norman Lear just bought a $15 million pad at 15 Central Park West. Your years of watching "All in the Family" helped him pay for it.
[Real Deal]

* Farewell to the Tower of Toys. [Jeremiah and Times]

* An old water tower collapses on West 54th Street, atop the old Sony Studios building. [Gothamist]

* Nathan's Famous is now posting calorie information ... the damage isn't as bad as you think. [Kinetic Carnival]

* Why do New Yorkers love to wait in line? We wait and then we are? An interesting essay. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* And soon, they'll have a new place to wait in line. TriBeCa's Whole Foods opens July 9. [Racked]

-- Rolando Pujol

Neon signs and homegrown businesses: Some of Ninth Avenue's irreplaceable treasures. (Photo by Rolando Pujol)

* Jeremiah has coverage of Saturday's protest to draw attention to a strip of Ninth Avenue shops that is poised for extinction. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Did "Sex and the City" kill old NYC? The cast defended the show in an amNY cover story today. Here's an counterpoint from Jeremiah. And check the comments on the story: They reflect a similar view [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* A tour of Broadway-Flushing: All is well, with a mix of lovely homes and traditional styles, until .... [Queens Crap]

* The "strangest building in the East Village." [Lost City]

* The Bossert, one of the architectural gems of Brooklyn Heights, is being sold by the Watchtower Group. [Brownstoner]

* Another nadir in city's construction boom: Myrtle the turtle becomes "the last condo victim"? Be warned: It's not a pleasant photo. [Curbed]

* Protesters gather to seek a time out on Atlantic Yards demolition work. [Gowanus Lounge]

-- Rolando Pujol

From allendavidniven6 on Flickr.

* Jeremiah, guest blogging on Curbed, chimes in on NYU's inexplicable plan to demolish the Provincetown Playhouse. [Curbed]

* Bloomingdale's may face the first strike by employees in 43 years. Labor contract expires April 30. [Racked]

* A Macy's in Harlem? Rumors swirl at Harlem Park, a site that has seen many fantasies attached to it.[Racked]

* At MePa Plaza, folks get a little too cavalier about their Mac products. No way they can be natives. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Revisit the 1964-65 World's Fair, in full living color. [Gothamist]

* A guaranteed archaeological discovery is hidden for the next time they change this restaurant's sign. [Lost City]

* A Poseidon adventure along Ninth Avenue. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Awaiting the return of the Red Hook soccer-field vendors. A commenter on Eater tells of a lesser-known scene that's already under way. [Eater]

* A different take on Fresh Meadows, which amNY profiled today. [Queens Crap]

-- Rolando Pujol

Folks soak in the sun last Friday near Giginos at Wagner Park in lower Manhattan. The AIA Guide calls the building, which is also a viewing platform, "a grand brick sculpture." (Photo by Rolando Pujol)

* The next chapter in the saga to save a row of small businesses on Ninth Avenue in Chelsea is May 3, when a protest will be held. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Those ubiquitous Star Wars ads around the city have inspired noteworthy subway mashups. [Gothamist]

* ... and who could miss the Slave Leias at Comic Con. [Vulture]

* "Look who's talking to Charlie ... Charlie Rose." D.C. expats may remember that jingle from his less highbrow WRC-TV talk show of the early 1980s, but now this video brings the jingle to life. [Gothamist]

* Illegal advertising blossoms anew, this time for cell phones. [Queens Crap]

* Last Saturday marked the 81st anniversary of Mae West's imprisonment on Roosevelt Island on a morals rap. [Roosevelt Islander]

* Remembering the Brooklyn earthquake of 1985. Yep, you read correctly. [OTBKB via Gowanus Lounge]

* Jeff Koons' sculptures now grace the top of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. [Unbeige]

* And up in Massachusetts, an awesome neon Dunkin Donuts sign from 1957 -- from the era before there was a DD on every block -- is for sale. [Hatch]

-- Rolando Pujol, Cha

One of our favorite red neon LIQUOR signs ... it's in great shape, and it beams all day.

* The Clash, all right: Take the former CBGB and add John Varvatos, fashionistas, Rev. Billy, punks, a bouncer or two and you get a post you really have to read. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* What to do with sensitive blueprints for the successor to the Twin Towers? Why, put them in a sidewalk trash can! Quick aside: When you look at the pics in the New York Post photo gallery, pay special attention to the way the Freedom Tower is described: "World Trade Center Tower One." Let's finally drop the unctuous Pataki-era nomenclature and call this building what it will be: One World Trade Center. And kudos to the Post for their cover headline: Free-Dumb Tower. Instant classic. [New York Post]

* We'll be the first in line if the Sunview Luncheonette in Greenpoint ever reopens. [Lost City]

* Those beavers at the Astor Place subway station have company: A big beaver was rescued from the East River today, and was spotted probably because of the extra security surrounding the pope's visit to the United Nations. There's debate about whether aiding the animal was really aid at all. [City Room]

* Documented in a remarkable series of photographs: The evolution of a Queens lot, from Victorian splendor to something that is most assuredly anything but. [Queens Crap]

-- Rolando Pujol

* Elaine's celebrates its 45th anniversary, and, by the way, she is very much among us.

* April is the cruelest month for architect Santiago Calatrava.

* Jeremiah visits the "Moulded Shoes," a store that has long fascinated us on 39th Street. It's been there since 1942.

* Benedict will enjoy tony Upper East Side digs while in town. [Curbed]

* A decidedly non-kosher turn for a building where Jewish dead were once prepared for burial. [Lost City]

* One Bryant Park's swank new lobby sees daylight. I see that Pronto Pizza and McDonald's are not coming back to 42nd and Sixth. [Curbed]

* An old TriBeCa liquor store (original signage largely intact) readies to morph into J. Crew. [Racked]

* Yep, pizza keeps getting more expensive. L&B's ups its price a quarter. More evidence of the impact of rising dairy and flour costs in Hell's Kitchen. [Postcards from Hell's Kitchen]

-- Rolando Pujol

* Time is running out for a supermarket with an odd footnote in history: It replaced the great Ratner's, and still retains a relic of the deli by the front door. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* The Flushing Remonstrance goes on display Sunday at the Queens Museum of Art. [Queens Crap]

* Savoring the salvation of St. Saviour's. [Queens Crap and NY1]

* It's cherry blossom time! [NewYorkology]

* We just discovered the Fading Ad Blog. Beautiful stuff. Here's a sample.

* A look at a religion icons store that's paying Columbia Street's high rent. [A Brooklyn Life]

* A interesting look at the Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum at Columbia University. (Never heard of it? Neither had we.) [Postcards from Hell's Kitchen]

* A red-tailed hawk hangs out with an angel in Central Park. [City Room]

Photo: Ratner's shortly before its iconic sign was dismantled in 2002. (Mayita Mendez/Newsday)

Pier 40, by leahlb on Flickr.

* Jeremiah follows up on his sad post about a Chelsea block's fate with a visit to Sweet Banana Candy Store, where you can buy eccentric treats and even candy cigarettes. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Next step for St. Saviour's is a news conference on Monday. [Queens Crap]

* The DKNY Wall and its pre-9/11 skyline shot may be endangered. [Gothamist]

* The Waverly Restaurant will get a new sign in keeping with the old. [Lost City]

* The High Line-straddling Standard Hotel may open in the late fall. [Curbed]

* A sound recording BEFORE Edison? Yes. [Vulture]

* Add Pier 40 to the list of projects that have hit the skids of late. [Curbed]

-- Rolando Pujol

The neon of Chiam Hand Laundry glows in Brooklyn Heights. (Rolando Pujol)

* The IRT, BMT and IND: Their spirits survive even in just-built subway station architecture, not just in old-school New York speak. [City Room]

* Troubling sign: The building that houses Chin's laundry in the Village is for sale. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Can't wait to get this book: A celebration of Brooklyn's storefronts. [Gothamist]

* We checked out "Old Forge pizza" when we lived in Pennsylvania for a few years. But now this town is claiming they are the pizza capital of the world? Dems fighting words. [Slice]

* Stroller gridlock in Brownstone Brooklyn! [Curbed]

* A chance to vent: Public forums next month on improving No. 7 train service. [Jackson Heights Life]

* Racked reports on Princeton ski shops' demise. Here's a piece amNY did a few weeks back on Princeton's fate, as well as other ski shops in the city.

* $35 movie tickets? Read it and weep. [Vulture]

* Phillip Glass rides the Cyclone as part of a documentary on the composer. [Gowanus Lounge]

* Photographer Nathan Kensinger explores Hunter's Point South. [Nathan Kensinger Photography]

-- Rolando Pujol

* Mystery of Monument Park: Space reserved for a new number? [Daily Intel]

* Check out the "views" from the new Yankee Stadium's suites. [Gothamist]

* The Beatrice Inn gets "Vongerichtified." [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Four Brooklyn neighborhoods sinking into real-estate abyss. [Curbed]

* Di Fara's has a Facebook page. [Slice]

* Rumbling of mass layoffs at Merrill Lynch. [Dealbreaker]

* Grey Gardens' fans: Film release date now Nov. 7? [Grey Gardens News]

* CBGB shop on St. Mark's Place set to close. [Running Scared]

-- Rolando Pujol

* New York Times reporter David Dunlap was roughed up because he photographed men putting up illegal advertising. We're sorry to hear this, and happy to find out he's fine. We're not too happy about how irresponsible corporations continue to defile our streets with guerrilla advertising and other illegal marketing. [City Room]

* A great restaurant find. Margon in midtown, a 1960s Cuban oasis. Go support it. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* The James Beard finalists are out. Danny Meyer and Jean-Georges Vongerichten are duking it out for outstanding restaurant. [Eater]

* Chelsea Barnes and Nobles closing up. [Racked]

* Some sort of wild animal caused a stir at Roosevelt Island's Motorgate. [Roosevelt Islander]

* A closer look at a mass arborcide in Inwood. [Inwoodite]

-- Rolando Pujol

Best Cleaners and its great sign in Brooklyn Heights. (Rolando Pujol)

* It's curtains for David Hyde Pierce's "Curtains." [NewYorkology]

* The city is standing up for the forlorn landmark of Hell's Kitchen, the Windmere. [Curbed]

* Meet New York's Grandma Moses, a 101-year-old Flushing resident. [NY Times via Queens Crap]

* A return visit to Gleason's Gym -- and its transformed neighborhood. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Roller rink opens in Coney's Childs restaurant building. [Gowanus Lounge]

* Headless Body in Topless Bar and other New York Post headline gems. [Gawker]

* A midtown deli closes: "Loved by few, but used by many." [Midtown Lunch]

* Next Sunday is New York City history day. [Gothamist]

-- Rolando Pujol

* Exploring Eloise lore at the newly reopened Plaza. [City Room]

* Paterson's problems set the stage for Governor Bruno? [Daily Intel]

* A place we'd never heard of but now must visit: Chez Brigitte turns 50. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* As part of our Endangered NYC coverage, David Freedlander goes on a Lost City tour. Check out the photos and the narrated slideshow.

Photo by RJ Mickelson

* Albany press corps heard whispers of Paterson's affairs for years ... [Observer]

* ... But really, why are we still talking about this? [Daily Gotham]

* Speaking of circuses, as Coney marks its possibly last summer (sound familiar?), the Circus Sideshow opens Sunday. [Kinetic Carnival]

* New York's boulevard of shoe stores is skipping a few steps these days. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* A theater designed by none other than Thomas Lamb has gone dark in Ridgewood. [Lost City]

* Thursday is the 97th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. [Daily Gotham]

* Scotland Week will mean haggis hot dogs coming April 4 and 5! [Midtown Lunch]

* City Room has an update on the leaning tower of Broadway. [City Room]

* Toll Brothers target Murray Hill/Kips Bay. Check out the comment thread on the virtues of Murray Hill. (Mighty fine townhouses there, for starters.) [Curbed]

* And just north in Turtle Bay, the UN is suspending weekend tours. Be sure to visit if you haven't before the renovations get under way. [NewYorkology]

-- Rolando Pujol

Photo: jason.I.ryan via Flickr

* Perhaps we'll add the JP Morgan tower to the collection of designs that will never materialize at Ground Zero. [Curbed]

* Charlie Rose banged up his face in a successful attempt to save his tumbling MacBook Air. [Gothamist]

* Dispute grows on which direction to place Alexander Hamilton's home, which is being moved in Hamilton Heights. [Curbed and supportthegrange.com]

* The demise of journalist watering holes. [Eater]

* Slice visits the original Patsy's in East Harlem. [Slice]

* Meet Dan Dunn, now imbibing in amNY.

-- Rolando Pujol

Photo: trudence on Flickr

* City seeks a savior for the Loews Kings theater in Flatbush. [Brownstoner]

* Haven't seen a $2 bill in a while? Just check the doors at Bear Stearns. [Gawker]

* A new Web tool to plan your night out ... [Gothamist]

* And some maps you shouldn't live without. [MUG]

* The McGreevey "thruple" casts Spitzer in a slightly less seamy light. [Daily Intel]

* "Tab Hunter" no longer works at the Voice. But tabs are still being hunted. [Running Scared]

* The saga of St. Saviour's takes a disgusting turn -- and that's after many bad turns. [Queens Crap]

* Forget the tram. How about a kayak launch from Roosevelt Island? [Roosevelt Islander]

* Revealed: A hint of the Stuyvesant Curiosity Shop. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

Photo: Marioletto on Flickr

* Wednesday, Ashley Alexandra Dupre was complaining to The New York Times that she might have to move back to New Jersey because she couldn't afford her Flatiron apartment. Umm, get this from New York magazine:

But in fact, in the less than 24 hours since that interview took place, Dupre's personal wealth has increased considerably. The two songs on her Amie Street profile, which each cost 98 cents, have been downloaded more than two million times, and Dupre will receive 70 percent of the total profit. Playboy and Penthouse are both interested in setting up photo shoots.

* So what are high-priced prostitutes and their clients saying about the Spitzer scandal? Go right to the source at Bound, Not Gagged and the theerroticreview.

* Jim Cramer is choked up by his buddy Eliot's downfall. You must check out the old camera booth photos of Eliot, Jim and an unknown friend. [Dealbreaker]

* Our cover today (Out with a Bang) gets some love from the Village Voice and NY1. Thanks! [Running Scared and NY1 "In the Papers"]

* It's been quite a week for Harlem, between Paterson's ascension and City Planning's approval of the 125th Street rezoning. [Uptown Flavor]

In other news ...

* Our City Living profile of South Slope revives the South Slope vs. North Slope debate. [Brownstoner and Curbed]

* Fiterman Hall's demolition may be nearing. The building was severely damaged on 9/11 ... [City Room]

* ... And here comes the new World Trade Center. For real, it seems. [Curbed]

* The Elephants Walk to Madison Square Garden is March 18. [Gothamist]

* A inside look at Admiral's Row. [Gothamist]

* Water Taxi Beach a public nuisance? [Queens Crap]

*Rosemary's Baby" is a classic that defines an era in New York. It may get the remake treatment, just like another similar vintage classic -- "Taking of Pelham One Two Three." [Fishbowl NY]

-- Rolando Pujol

* Virgin Mobile jumps on the 9 meme. [Adrants]

* A handy guide to resignation reaction. [City Room]

* No surprise: Kristen could really get rich off this scandal. Not that she needs money. [Guest of a Guest via Daily Intelligencer]

* The work of art "Annotated Spitzer" will go on a tour tracing Kristen's steps to D.C. [Dealbreaker]

* Dealbreaker hosts a celebratory drink today at 5:30 at, where else, Spitzer's Corner. [Dealbreaker]

* Where to get your Spitzer memorabilia. [Gothamist]

In other news ...

* Three restaurants in the news: Minetta Tavern, Florent and Armando's. The news is mostly bad, but hopefully not in Minetta's case. [Lost City]

* What's with the toilet paper ads on the subway? [City Room]

* At the end of Christopher Street, you may spy the end of an era. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* The evictions continue at the Hotel Chelsea. [Curbed]

* This is awesome. An interactive map of property sales around the city. [Brownstoner]

* Red Hook poultry market is on the block. [Gowanus Lounge]

* A day after looking at bad Time covers, here's an exploration of great Esquire covers. [Gothamist]

* Polish Greenpoint: On the way out. [Fishbowl NY]

* Are there growing signs that chain expansions are hitting a wall? Don't count on it. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Sometimes, scaffolding on a building is good news. To wit: The story of the MacIntyre Building. [City Room]

* The Helmsley Park Lane could be on the block. Is it farewell to that '70s vibe? [Curbed]

* Columbia will make it easier for students from lower-income families to attend. [Gothamist]

* Too cute: A harbor seal in Red Hook. [Brownstoner]

* Bowery update: Rogan will guarantee even less grit on the former skid row. [Racked]

* Read Time, and don't understand: Time rounds up its worst covers. "Cocktails '85," anyone? [Gawker]

-- Rolando Pujol

Photo: Otterman56 from Flickr

Here's a brief oasis from all things Spitzer:

* A pleasant surprise: Red Hook ballfields will be back this summer and at least for six years. Here's some of our coverage on the "Soccer Taco" saga from last summer. And suggestions for what to nosh on when you visit. [Curbed]

* Childs Restaurant at Coney Island will be revived as a roller rink. [Daily News]

* So, do New Yorkers really work harder? [NY Mag Daily Intel]

* It's easy to love Victorian Flatbush, but at these prices? [Brownstoner]

* The Times examines the state of our "waiting game" real-estate market. [Times via Brownstoner]

* New block to LIC gentrification: Starbucks won't move in ...[Racked]

* ... and Dunkin Donuts will join Starbucks on 145th Street in Harlem. [Racked]

* A look inside the long-vanished Show World on Eighth Avenue, which was arguably the last symbol of the old Times Square. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

-- Rolando Pujol

The Hotel Chelsea -- take a look at our
recent story on the fight to save
it. (amNY file/Lane Johnson)

* Battle of the giants: How the Hotel Chelsea stacks up against the Plaza and the Algonquin. [Living with Legends]

* The crumbling Renwick Ruins: A visit to this endangered icon. [Roosevelt Islander]

* A glass tower will grow in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens -- by the park. [Curbed]

* Minetta Tavern is applying for a liquor-license transfer. What could that mean? [Eater]

* An ungraceful end: Grace & Hope Mission closes. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Barton's candy shops were once all around the city. We spotted a recently revealed sign earlier this week. But evidence of the kosher candies has turned up before. [Lost City]

* If there's a public work of art in Manhattan, you'll find it on this cool map. [CultureNow via Tropolism]

-- Rolando Pujol

A photo from Friends of Moynihan Station shows what the overall Penn Station redevelopment might look like. That is, if it ever happens.

* Friends of Moynihan Station present a stunning vision: Midtown sans Madison Square Garden. The plan that would make this happen has run into trouble. [Curbed]

* We go for a walk around Crown Heights for City Living.

* With ER visits for the flu hitting 1,000 a day, a push to allow pharmacists to give flu shots. [City Room]

* Murray Hill bar Tonic East settles discrimination suit. [Gothamist]

* With vacancy rates higher than the city average at Stuy Town, new renters are getting a month free. [Gothamist]

* Will it be shovels to the dirt soon at Harlem Park? [Curbed]

* It's official: Armando's in Brooklyn Heights will close March 16, taking 70 years of history with it. [Brownstoner]

* One Jackson Square brings Wi-Fi to Jackson Square Park, which is getting the quick cleanup treatment. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Conjuring the famous who once lived in Jackson Heights. [Jackson Heights Life]

* It's not as cheap as the Fung Wah bus, but the Boston-bound may consider the Limoliner. There's even Wi-Fi, people! [Metroblogging NYC]

* We're All Connected, all right: A live map, New York Talk Exchange, shows which neighborhoods are calling which parts of the world. [Gawker]

* Find out how to "Go Green" in Queens, this Saturday. [Lost in the Ozone]

-- Rolando Pujol

The Survivors' Stairway once led to the elevated, sprawling Austin Tobin Plaza at the World Trade Center. Photo via Megalho on Flickr

* The Survivors' Stairway, the last remaining aboveground portion of the WTC complex that is still at Ground Zero, is being removed for safe-keeping. [City Room]

* Translating developer speak: A user's guide. [Lost City]

* Right next to the storied Pete's Tavern in Irving Place, where O. Henry is said to have written "The Gift of the Magi," will rise a condo tower. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* The Shake Shack: Once, it was a little joint in Madison Square Park, but soon, it will become a chainlet. [Gothamist]

* Live in lovely Pomander Walk on the Upper West Side for a cool $2.295 million. [Curbed]

* The mystery of the protected tree that grows next to a Bayside McMansion. [Queens Crap]

* The horror as John Varvatos still preps the former CBGB space for a new Bowery store. [Racked]

* Scary: When the F train is out, the Roosevelt Island Tram will be overwhelmed. [Roosevelt Islander]

* John Teti, our former humor columnist and "Daily Show" alum, pays a visit to the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. [Geek Out New York]

-- Rolando Pujol

The High Bridge tower once figured in the Croton Aqueduct. Now it's an icon that's open occasionally for tours. (Via westofthehudson on Flickr)

* New York is all about change, right? Not quite. [Lost City]

* Major development imperils another big chunk of Columbus Circle. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York]

* Can Moynihan Station, the No. 7 line extension, and Hudson Yards all get built? Hmm. [Curbed]

* Where's Manhattan's only Arby's? It used be at the Manhattan Mall, and now the fast-good eatery is gone amid big retail changes there.[Racked]

* Touring the High Bridge Tower in upper Manhattan. [NewYorkology]

Who is that masked couple? It's William F. Buckley Jr., and his wife Patricia at Truman Capote's Black and White Ball at the Plaza Hotel on Nov. 28, 1966. A year earlier, Buckley had run for mayor. (AP)

* Here's a look by City Room at a fact many of a certain age don't know: William F. Buckley ran for mayor in 1965.

* Good running coverage of a tragedy: the destruction of St. Saviours in Maspeth. Latest is that the city has halted the demolition work. [Queens Crap]

* The Times has a video examining the rejuvenated facade of the James A. Farley Post Office. We first told you back in September that the work was done.

* Inside Julian Schnabel's very pink and very tall Palazzo Chupi.[Vanity Fair via Curbed]

* Dylan's Candy Bar now has a just-as-colorful third floor. [Racked]

* Part of Richard Brodsky's congestion-pricing alternative: Paying $6.50 for just jumping into a cab. [City Room]

* A remnant of the World Trade Center's life, right across the street, will soon disappear into the protective hands of curators. [City Room]

* And Lost City writes about one our favorite surviving signs from the Devil's Playground era of Times Square. Here are recent photos we took of the Elk Hotel, at 42nd Street and Ninth Avenue:

-- Rolando Pujol