Urbanite

Quick Bite: Pret a Manger challenges Starwich on 38th

Sat, 10 May 2008 14:37:28 -0500

The Starwich at West 38th Street and Sixth Avenue is facing some competition from sandwich king Pret a Manger, which is carving a new outpost across the street at the Americana Inn, home to "budget-conscious" travelers. Hiring for the new Pret is under way. -- Rolando Pujol

Tabloid Tour: A jaunt down Flatbush Avenue

Sat, 10 May 2008 14:25:24 -0500

It's hard to miss this sign -- and the store's purpose is exceedingly clear. Below, The Loews Kings, closed in 1977 and still awaiting a redevelopment plan. Barbra Streisand was an usher here once. We took a long tour the other day through the Flatbush and Midwood sections of Brooklyn, beginning with lunch at Di Fara's and ending with dinner at Picket Fence on Cortelyou Road. In between, we found lots of noteworthy stuff, including some of New York's most charming residential neighborhoods. A few of us will be dropping occasional posts on our experiences. Here's some highlights from a short stretch of Flatbush Avenue we traversed. On a late Saturday afternoon, it was teeming with vibrant street life and interesting shops and sights. Our photographic highlights continue after the jump. -- Rolando Pujol Just a perfect neighborhood stationery store sign, with plastic lettering and a corrugated metal background.

33rd and Mad: The scaffolding's up ...

Sat, 10 May 2008 13:50:08 -0500

One of the most interesting old-sign discoveries we ever made was at 33rd and Madison, a doomed corner with a towering future. Here's the recently erected shroud of gloom that portends the teardown, and, below, the cool signs that briefly saw the light of day, as well as -- after the jump -- a few more shots we hadn't published before of the buildings that are set to come down. -- Rolando Pujol

Giant Hello Kitty invades Park Avenue

Fri, 09 May 2008 12:17:30 -0500

Photo by Liza Johnston More than one giant Hello Kitty figure, actually. They are the work of artist Tom Sachs, known for his eccentric artistic explorations of consumerism, and also a strange fascination with the saucer-eyed cartoon Hello Kitty cats. He even created a Hello Kitty nativity for the Barney's holiday window in 1994. These cats are part of a show at the Lever House on Park Avenue at 53rd Street, and are displayed in the open-air street-level space. There are two 10-foot fountains that appear to be crying visible to passersby in vehicles or on foot. And without further ado, a look at the Park Ave. cats:

Photos by Liza Johnston -- Lauren Johnston

You (yes YOU!) - are a walking work of art

Fri, 09 May 2008 10:37:49 -0500

Photo from the Every Person in New York blog Artist Jason Polan is trying to draw every person in New York. He may have already drawn you. He could be drawing you right now. He's started a blog to document his progress on this behemoth of an art project, posting simple line portraits as he finishes them. It's appropriately titled "Every Person in New York." He's always drawing, according to the blog, on the subway, on the street, in museums. Everywhere. But come on, there are 8 million people in this town, so it's understandable that the guy wants some help. He wants to draw you. So if you'd like your likeness sketched, zap him a note at: art@jasonpolan.com Here is Polan's plea for subjects, and instructions on how to meet up: "If you would like to increase the chances of a portrait of YOU appearing on this blog please email me a street corner or other public place that you will be standing at for a duration of two minutes (I will be on the corner of 14th street and 8th avenue on the North-east corner of the street from 2:42-2:44pm this Thursday wearing a bright yellow jacket and navy rubber boots, for example)." Additional instructions: Give him 24 hours notice, and don't go out of your way in case he can't be there. Work those two minutes into something that's part of your normal routine -- he might not be there -- or he might be, and you just may not notice. It's a huge ambition - but if anyone can do it, we think Polan can. Our pals at Boing-Boing note he's already drawn every piece of art in the MoMA. And what better do you have to do this weekend than become part of a living work of art? -- Lauren Johnston

Saving the environment's in the bag

Thu, 08 May 2008 14:54:01 -0500

Eco-conscious New Yorkers aren't strangers to hauling their groceries in reusable totes. Well, stores like Target have made it even easier to reduce the use of plastic and paper. This sturdy tote, made from recyclable polypropylene fabric, folds into itself to become the size of a billfold. Unfolded, it's large can hold several melons or several pairs of shoes. Plus, the design doesn't shout Target; it's kind of cute and discreet. Carry it around in your purse or pocket. I snapped mine up for 99 cents at the Atlantic Center Target. — Emily Ngo

Throwback Thursday: I Love NY (and the Citi Never Sleeps)

Thu, 08 May 2008 13:13:19 -0500

Two longtime New York-centric campaigns were infused with new life this week. First off, New York has rolled out a revamped campaign centered around that reliable chestnut "I Love New York," a campaign that originated in 1977 at one of the low points in the city's history. Like the original set of commercials, the new campaign is aggressively promoting the state as a whole. Click here for a superb example of the original campaign, with great shots of New York in 1977 and that catchy Disco jingle penned by Steve Karmen. And click here for a nifty short documentary on the campaign's origins. Later in the week, we learned that Citigroup was bringing back its "Citi Never Sleeps" campaign. The slogan, trotted out in 1978, served the financial giant well for a good chunk of the 1980s, before being dropped for other approaches, including "When, Where and How to Succeed". Our examination of our usual sources failed to turn up an example of the original "Citi Never Sleeps" jingle, but we did find a commercial with a memorable theme and effective use of the Citicorp Building, which you couldn't miss in many of the company's ads of that vintage.Click below. -- Rolando Pujol

Breaking: Congressman Vito Fossella admits child is his

Thu, 08 May 2008 11:19:39 -0500

AP Photo According to a statement just released:

"I have had a relationship with Laura Fay, with whom I have a three-year-old daughter. "My personal failings and imperfections have caused enormous pain to the people I love and I am truly sorry. "While I understand that there will be many questions, including those about my political future, making any political decisions right now are furthest from my mind. "Over the coming weeks and months, I will to continue to do my job and I will work hard to heal the deep wounds I have caused."

Wow. Fossella was picked up drunk driving last week and told officers he was going to pick up his daughter, even though he was far from his home but near the home of Fay. What was believed to have just been a lame excuse turns out to have been technically correct. Sources tell us that reporters did the math--Faye broke up with her husband five years ago, met Fossella three years ago, wouldn't reveal who the father was, etc. etc. and pieced this one together. Fossella of course, has a lovely family on Staten Island, where he serves as a congressman, one of the few Republicans in the House in the entire northeast. Yesterday the lefty blogosphere was abuzz with the notion that due to the DWI, and likely jail time for Fossella, this was a strong opportunity to pick up a seat. We'll follow this throughout the day. In the meantime, let the Fossella deathwatch begin? ---David Freedlander

How to help cyclone victims

Wed, 07 May 2008 20:00:15 -0500

Here are some groups through which New Yorkers can help victims of the cyclone in Myanmar, where the death toll is projected to reach 100,000: The American Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS or redcross.org UNICEF at 800-4UNICEF or unicefusa.org/ myanmar Mercy Corps at 800-852-2100 or mercycorps.org — Emily Ngo

Woody's filming in Murray Hill

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:35:44 -0500

The yellow sign from the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting -- or Mayor Lindsay's 1966 curse upon car owners -- is certainly a common sight, and Murray Hill saw a bunch of those just last week for the "Taking of Pelham 123". But this week, the placards are accompanied by a polite note from the locations department at Perdido Productions, informing residents of the hood -- ever so politely -- that filming for the mysterious "Woody Allen Summer Project 08" will be affecting several streets. That's right, Woody the anglophile is once again shooting in the Big Apple. He said earlier this year that New York simply isn't as interesting as it once was, except for somewhat untouched pockets like Carnegie Hill and Tudor City. Well, he's just a few blocks from Tudor City here. Some of the streets affected in Murray Hill, BTW, are quite attractive -- perfect backdrops to capture that "Woody's New York" look -- including West 38th Street between Third and Lexington avenues. Click on the photo to read the letter. -- Rolando Pujol

Now open: Sports Museum of America

Wed, 07 May 2008 14:07:32 -0500

Olympic track star Carl Lewis looks at a display during the opening Wednesday of the Sports Museum of America in New York. AFP/Getty Images amNY's Kyle Stack spoke with Phillip Schwalb about his quest to open this museum. Here's his file piece. Phillip Schwalb's dream began during his first visit to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 10, 2001. Schwalb's thinking that day went like this: What if there were a smaller, more accessible version of the basketball hall in New York City? And what if this museum of artifacts and interactive exhibits encompassed other sports? Take an insider's video tour of the museum
The destruction in lower Manhattan the following day only emboldened the longtime sports and entertainment executive's dream of starting a sports museum. On Wednesday, the Sports Museum of America (SmA) opened at 26 Broadway, becoming "the nation's first and only all sports experience," as its Web site touts. "I thought we could build something in New York City that would be both its own museum of all sports and an endorsement to get people to visit the actual Basketball Hall of Fame," said Schwalb, SmA's 45-year-old founder and chief executive officer. (The "m" in SmA's acronym is lower-case, officials said, to call attention to the museum's claim that it offers more than a traditional, gallery-based museum.)

City Hall Dispatch: New poll show no one cares about new poll

Wed, 07 May 2008 11:40:59 -0500

Quinnipiac just released their latest poll on the '09 mayoral contest which seems to reveal that no one much cares about the '09 mayoral contest. And why should they? Spring is in the air, the presidential election is consuming all the political oxygen, Water Taxi Beach opens in 2 weeks. And despite a few months of real news since the last QU poll was released two months ago--the Sean Bell verdict, the council slush fund scandal, etc---no real movement in the numbers. Police Commish Ray Kelly, who has said he is not and will not be a candidate, still tops the field, despite a diminishing approval rating among black voters. U.S. Rep Anthony Weiner, who has been upping his public appearances, is the choice of 16%, following by Brooklyn BP Marty Markowitz at 13 and comptroller Bill Thompson at 10. Speaker Christine Quinn has suffered slightly with the council shenanigans, dropping from 13% to 10%. Still, and we've said it here before--it's hard to picture the commish as Hizzoner. As we see it, he's Wesley Clark with a badge. Regardless, NYers still seem to love Mayor Mike, giving him a crazy-ass 70% approval rating. And many insiders tell us the real sleeper in '09 is some other billionaire businessman who can carry on the Bloomberg legacy, paying for the campaign himself and governing in a similar post-partisan kind of way. Who that will be, however, no one seems to know. ---David Freedlander

Map the Sean Bell protest route

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:29:03 -0500

Click here for the map If all goes according to the Rev. Al Sharpton's master prayer plan, acts of civil disobedience in the name of Sean Bell [full coverage] will jam traffic and clog transit hubs across the city today. Maybe you want to join in, maybe you want to avoid it. In either case, consult our interactive click map to find out what's happening where and when. The fun/havoc begins at 3 p.m. today Click for PHOTOS | VIDEOS that document that case. -- Lauren Johnston

Troubled by filth from idling buses, two boys launch blog

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:34:53 -0500

Eugene Varnedoe and his friend Muhamed Rahman created a blog. They're environmentally conscious and wanted to let the Internet community know that the idling buses parked in front of their school emit dangerous fumes that can cause asthma. Eugene and Muhamed are each 10 years old The best friends helped create the blog, after Muhamed was diagnosed with asthma, a problem that may be connected to the pollution outside the elementary school he attends in Queens. Tuesday, the two boys and several of their classmates at PS 122 in Astoria took the day off from school today to stand on the steps of City Hall as part of an awareness campaign aimed at getting drivers to turn off their engines instead of allowing them to idle while parked. The event was organized by the Asthma Safe School Zone, a nonprofit organization trying to bring attention to the harmful effects of idling vehicles.

The true meaning of cheap and chic

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:17:08 -0500

It feels like every big designer whose pieces are sold at stores like Barneys is doing a line for Target. But the same items sold at Barneys and Target? That's a different story. This weekend, Rogan for Target be available for three days at Barneys before heading to Target May 18. The eco-friendly collection is priced $14.99-$44.99, and includes dresses, hoodies, tanks and bathing suits. Shopping hours: May 9 - Sunday, May 11 Friday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. — Julie Gordon