Fred Thompson Drops Out of Presidential RaceFred Thompson has dropped out of the presidential race. “Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States,” the former Tennessee senator said in a statement that was just released. “I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort.” There was no announcement of whether he would be endorsing one of his former Republican rivals for the nomination. Thompson had said that he needed to win this weekend’s South Carolina primary, in which he placed third, in order to continue the campaign. To which we say, good call. The odds of winning are much better on Law & Order, anyway.
Fred Thompson Quits Presidential Race [AP]
neighborhood watch
Last Call at NorthsixClinton Hill: Lots of abandoned homes up for sale—for first-time homebuyers, that is, not folks looking to trade their tiny co-op for a spacious fixer-upper. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Coney Island: Developing Coney Island isn’t “financially feasible” without high-rise housing on Stillwell Avenue, says Thor Equities. [Kinetic Carnival]
Harlem: That empty lot at 1405 Fifth Avenue will soon be low- and middle-income housing. [What About the Plastic Animals?]
Prospect Heights: Turns out there are still five privately owned acres smack in the path of Atlantic Yards. [Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn]
Prospect Lefferts Gardens: Would expanding the historic district help prevent new development eyesores? [Across the Park]
West Village: Which fashion label will grace the N.J. Turnpike–size billboard being affixed to the Gansevoort Hotel? [Curbed]
Williamsburg: Catch the last show at Northsix before the space closes to magically transform into the Music Hall of Williamsburg. [FREEwilliamsburg]
cultural capital
Jonathan Ames to Bring Moby, Nudity to Pitkin’s for a RematchWord comes from performance author Jonathan Ames that his show at Mo Pitkin’s tonight will include “nude wrestling, pillow-fights, paddling, chaos, excellent performances, and a likely guest appearance by Moby.” Nekkidness, chaos, and Moby the Jesus-fearing vegan, all in one place? Not as strange as you’d think: We heard from a witness that the shaved one once had so much fun at a Stamford, Connecticut, strip club that he convinced the staff to keep the place open for him several hours past closing. When the owners wanted to charge him a couple thousand dollars more for this indulgence than he thought was fair, he not only refused to pay a cent of it but also threatened to call the cops and report a fight outside of the club. “The sad part about this,” Moby allegedly told a bouncer, “is that when we wake up tomorrow, I’ll still be me and you’ll still be you.” Even worse: He’ll still be the guy who said that.
—Daniel Maurer
The Jonathan Ames Show [MoPitkins.com]