Flatbush to Rise?Bedford-Stuyvesant: Guess which dark lord lives in this sleekly hideous black fortress? It’s your dad, Luke Skywalker! [Newyorkshitty]
East Village: Big-time developer Ben Shaoul thinks the East Village will always be “gritty and inexpensive and arty,” even though he’s renting $7,500 marble-bedecked apartments here. [NYO]
Flatbush: Look for some major redevelopment on shabby Flatbush Avenue, where the Pintchik family, long the owners of the local hardware store, own about $100 million in property and are readying to class it up to the level of Park Slope or Cobble Hill. [NYS]
NewsFeed
Clubland’s Toughest Door Is in, Um, Times Square?
Clubs have long vied for celeb-studded Tuesday nights, so what’s the hottest one going these days? By one account, it’s Spotlight Live??? We were tempted to dismiss the Times Square karaoke complex as “strictly for the tourists” when it first opened, but that changed when we heard hip-hop stars were in the house during the recent Monday morning when a knife fight broke out. According to MTV.com, Beyoncé, Mya, Fantasia, Ne-Yo, and others have taken the stage for Tuesday’s “R&B Live” night. This week, when Diddy hosted a Bad Boy showcase, Fat Joe, Ray J, and Missy Elliott were in the audience, and Naughty by Nature and Danity Kane performed. We called the club looking to get in on the action, but were told it was a private event put on by an entertainment group affiliated with Universal Records. In other words, that door is tight.
Related: Diddy, Beyonce, Ne-Yo Make ‘Spotlight Live’ New York’s Hot Tuesday-Night Ticket
Deadly Brawl in Times Square [NYDN]
Carrie Jennings of Spotlight Live Doesn’t Mind If You’re Horrible at Karaoke
neighborhood watch
Ivy League Grad Will Rub Your Shoulders, Write Your BiographyAstoria: Councilman Vallone, if you thought you could just put that preconstructed, toxin-belching smokestack there on 37th Street and nobody would notice, you were sadly mistaken. Oh, and “you’re slowly turning the area into a ghetto,” too, by the way. [Queens Crap]
Carroll Gardens: If you give this “Ivy-educated” author, psychologist, educator, and editor a free place to live, he (she?) will be your shrink and write your memoir. Yeah, we’ve heard that one before. [Pardon Me for Asking]
Harlem: They’re standing by original funk-soul brother Bill Clinton up here, especially with that Obama being “a nice white middle-class guy.” Ouch! [NYT]
neighborhood watch
Bed-Stuy Invades BushwickBushwick: Have Bedford-Stuyvesant landlords pushed the media to join them in identifying Bed-Stuy locales as part of trendier Bushwick? This blogger says that this fire really took place in the Stuy, but that’s not how the news reported it. [BushwickBK]
Chelsea: The old-school drunks still gather at the old-school Peter McManus Cafe, but after 7 p.m., THE KIDS arrive. Beware! [Vanishing NY]
Clinton: Folks from the 34th St. Partnership are trying to build a bike parking lot (isn’t that crazy!) on 33rd Street between Eighth and Ninth. If you have the $200,000 they need to pay for it, let them know. [Gothamist]
neighborhood watch
A Chabad BlogsAstoria: Hm, if we get on the list now, can we make it into this de-gorgeous affordable housing complex for the elder set by the time we’re 65? If our income stays where it is now, we know we’ll qualify. [OuterB]
Crown Heights: The Chabad Orthodox sect here has a totally pimped-out ride memorializing the late, great Rebbe Schneerson. And did you know they also have their own blog? They’re so now! [Curbed]
Harlem: At P.S. 161 on Convent Ave., the teachers park on the sidewalks! Do they think they can get away with this just because they make subsistence wages? We think not. [Streetsblog]
NewsFeed
Is Chop Suey the Worst Name Ever for a Korean Restaurant?
Zak Pelaccio has been getting an earful from some Asian-Americans over Chop Suey, the name of his latest project as Consulting Chef of the Future. At least among the ones who commented on Grub Street, the prevailing feeling seemed to be that, political aspects aside, the name was just dumb: “Chop Suey is such a HORRIBLE NAME! Not only is it NOT Korean generally, the name “chop suey” or ‘za sui,’ when used in Chinese, has the meaning of cooked animal offal or entrails.” “Zak needs help picking names of his restaurants … Chicken Bone? FATTY Crab, Chop Suey?” “My GOD. chop suey is the stupidest name for any kind of restaurant Pelaccio has come up with to date.”
neighborhood watch
People in Dumbo Still Read BooksDumbo: Local, too-cool-for-school publisher powerHouse Books better watch out! Another indie publisher, Melville House, plans to open offices plus a bookstore and event space, just like pH did! [DumboNYC]East Harlem: Council member Melissa Mark-Viverito, who fights for affordable housing here, is “vivacious enough to play herself in any television biopic.” Shouldn’t that be a requirement for the whole City Council? [NYDN]East Village: Hygienic bohos, rejoice! Soap dispensers are returning to the women’s restroom at Tompkins Square Park! [Suzannah B. Troy Artist]
NewsFeed
Zak Pelaccio’s Chop Suey to Open Next MonthZak Pelaccio has somehow found time to plan a new restaurant, in between taking over Borough Food and Drink from Jeffrey Chodorow, opening a new Fatty Crab uptown, and perfecting a haute Malaysian restaurant in London. Look for a big new Korean-themed restaurant in the Renaissance called Chop Suey to open (says Pelaccio with optimism) in late January. Last summer, the bearded wonder took a trip to Korea, where he fell in love with the marinated beef belly and other meaty delights he plans to implement in his new menu as consulting chef. At this pace, we predict Ditmas Park and Inwood will be only Pelaccio-free neighborhoods in New York. But if they’re lucky, they’ll get restaurants too.
Related: Zak Pelaccio Taking Over Borough Food and Drink From Jeffrey Chodorow
neighborhood watch
Malcolm Gladwell: Big Hair, Big Feet, Big Heart?Upper East Side: Malcolm Gladwell revealed his big feet, gesticulated intensely, said people shouldn’t be allowed to say where they went to college, and stole bloggery hearts at the 92nd St. Y the other night. [UES Informer]
Bushwick: Now the hipsters are staging Punk Rock Pillow Fights. Will their crazy, ironic, lo-fi fun ever stop? [Brooklyn Rink via the vaguely anti-Semitic BushwickBK]
East Harlem: A principal at a high school here sent teachers a memo telling them to dumb down their standards for the kids. Uh-huh. [NYDN]
Harlem: Amid its massive, seventeen-acre expansion in the hood’s west side, Columbia says it won’t tear down the Cotton Club on 125th after all. That’s Christian of them. [NYP]
neighborhood watch
Preschool in Brooklyn Just Got More ToxicBoerum Hill: Parents who shelled out $1,200 for a preschool found that it was full of toxic hazards, running without a license and bouncing teachers’ checks since last summer. That’s so not the New Brownstone Brooklyn! [Brooklyn Eagle]
Bushwick: In which a bored cop mistakes a narcissistic gay Russian taking pictures of himself for a terrorist. Sounds like the start of a porn vid. [BushwickBK]
Harlem: Will a possible rezoning of 125th Street into towers of luxury condos and chain stores be a good thing for Harlem, or “Katrina-fication done by the swipe of a pen”? [VV]
neighborhood watch
Renzo Piano Forgot the Bike RacksTimes Square: If the New York Times building is so green, how come there’s nowhere to park a bike? [Streetsblog]
Atlantic Yards: Will the Yards eventually feel more like Madison Square Garden, or Newark? This blog captures the debate from the Brian Lehrer Show. [Atlantic Yards Report]
Brooklyn Heights: The Wandering Stranger of Schermerhorn Street has disappeared! And has earned himself a poetic blog elegy. [Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn via Brooklyn Heights Blog]
NewsFeed
Madame Tussauds Immortalizes the Burger King, For a Limited Time
It doesn’t take much to become immortalized in Madame Tussauds these days: The wax museum, where Napoleon Bonaparte twice sat for his likeness, now has the copies of RuPaul, Freddie Krueger, and George Pataki occupying its not-so-hallowed halls. Still, we were taken aback when we heard that the Burger King and his progeny, the Whopper, were about to be enshrined. (Burger King, which came up with the idea, also paid for it.)
Ask a Waiter
Nelson Hernandez of Insieme Is Waiting Out the Broadway Strike, Liquor BoardNelson Hernandez was a teacher for ten years before he decided he’d rather make art than teach it. He now performs around town as a singer-songwriter and pays the rent by waiting tables at Marco Canora’s joint Insieme. Since Insieme is located directly across from the darkened Winter Garden, we thought Hernandez might be just the person to tell us what the scene has been lately at a restaurant that caters both to theatergoing tourists and to homegrown aficionados of contemporary Italian cuisine.
neighborhood watch
Curbed Takes on Red Hook, ‘New York’Red Hook: OMG, you guys, like, every post on Curbed today is about le Hook Rouge! And half of them provide photo evidence aiming to disprove New York’s latest story saying that gentrification there bombed. We might just have to get our writer to react to this! More soon. [Curbed]
Chelsea: We don’t want to start any blasphemous rumors, but, well, yes, that was Depeche Mode shooting a (gypsy-filled?) video at the Chelsea Hotel last night. Reportedly. [Living with Legends]
Fort Greene: If you go to the greenmarket here on Saturdays, you’ll not only get an ecosensitive reusable shopping bag, you’ll meet many “engaging and beautiful” neighbors. Is this a front for an escort service? [Clinton Hill Blog]
gossipmonger
Neal Boulton Wants, Doesn’t Want AttentionFormer Men’s Fitness editor and Jann Wenner paramour Neal Boulton calls up “Page Six” to tell them that he is getting harassed for being “too straight.” Harvey Weinstein said he uses Vogue and Anna Wintour to help style his films. The Box is about to implement a security system designed by Safir Rosetti, which is run by former police commissioner Howard Safir. 50 Cent may perform at Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Salman Rushdie dressed up as Darth Vader on Halloween and had to fend off chicks with his light saber. Fox News correspondent Chris Wallace complained that only 39 American soldiers died in Iraq in October 2007, the fewest deaths in a month since 2004.
Neighborhood Watch
Shake Shack Opens Year-round; Five Guys On in MidtownFlatiron: Shake Shack is hammering out a year-round plan that may kick off after the New Year and will include heat lamps. (It better!) [Eat for Victory/VV]
Long Island City: Art-O-Mat sells nice neighborhood souvenirs like LIChocolate bars. [LIC-NYC]
Lower East Side: New bar and restaurant Cafe Katja has earned some positive buzz for its touches like house-made pickles and sauerkraut and well-priced Austrian and German wine and beer. [Blog Chelsea]
Midtown West: Five Guys Burger’s and Fries at 43 West 55th Street started serving today, a day ahead of schedule. [Midtown Lunch]
Nolita: Katie Lee Joel’s favorite New York restaurant is Ballato’s on East Houston near Mulberry Street. [Restaurant Girl]
Times Square: Top-notch steakhouse Del Frisco’s still has steak tips and mashed potatoes on its lunch menu for under $10, though the burger’s over $13. [Midtown Lunch]
Upper East Side: Sassy’s Sliders at 1530 Third Avenue near 86th Street is the front-runner in this roundup of the city’s best mini-sandwiches, which also includes Burke’s burgers at Bloomingdale’s and the Little Owl’s meatball version. [Gridskipper]
West Village: The new bar replacing Luke & Leroy on Seventh Avenue South is having a soft opening tonight. [Imbible/Citysearch] Voyage has finally given up the ghost, and its prime Perry Street restaurant real estate with it. [Eater]
neighborhood watch
Bushwick: Now With Ice Caves!Bedford-Stuyvesant: Wanna know if your Bed-Stuy block is respectable? Check to see if FreshDirect delivers there. [Bed Stuy Blog]
Bushwick: If you rent a subterranean room in the Lair, you won’t get a window, but you will enjoy “the only indoor ice cave that Bushwick has ever seen.” Sounds like breaking even to us. [Curbed]
Ditmas Park: All those serious-looking South Asians outside P.S. 139 the other day? They were there for local elections for the Chittagong Association, which sends disaster relief to folks back home in Bangladesh. Duh! [Ditmas Park Blog]
neighborhood watch
Target! Must You Brand Everything?Bedford-Stuyvesant: It’s nice that Target funded the beautiful redesign of this community garden … but obnoxious that they put all those big red dots up in there. [Bed-Stuy Blog]
Dumbo: Sorry we didn’t notice this the other day, but are they building a little penthouse atop the iconic clock tower of One Main Street? [Brownstoner]
Forest Hills: Did you guys know that the hood apparently has a really cool, retro Adidas sneaker named after it? These are probably sooo what the homies were wearing in the Summer of Sam. [Overstock via Forest Hills 72]
Neighborhood Watch
Momofuku Won’t Close for Even One Day; Half Off Wine at ArtisanalEast Village: David Chang plans on wasting no time turning Momofuku Noodle Bar into Momofuku Ko next month: The place won’t close for even much a day but rather will morph overnight into its new identity. [Grub Street]
Related: Keeping Up With the Momofukus
Flatiron: Cookbook editor Judith Jones will lead a discussion and wine tasting at Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit on October 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. [Grub Street]
Fort Greene: On Saturday evenings the gourmet shop L’Epicerie turns into “a $40 per head, BYOB, family-style restaurant offering a casually sophisticated take on the dinner party.” [NYO]
Midtown: All the wines by the glass at Artisanal will be half off after 10 p.m., starting next week. [Grub Street]
Red Hook: The bar-robbing thugs who held up Bait & Tackle bartenders at gunpoint have been apprehended. [Eater]
Times Square: The Palm West will be serving a Purple Martini this season that includes some new liquor that to our knowledge does not include grape juice. [Grub Street]
neighborhood watch
Is The Hotel Pennsylvania Outta Here?Chelsea: Few care that the 1919 McKim, Mead and White–designed Hotel Pennsylvania will likely come down to make room for a way-high office tower. [NYO]
Greenpoint: Sassy blogger Miss Heather and a local named Bert are in a nasty e-fight over the whether Miss H’s blog helps or hurts the hood. [Newyorkshitty]
Greenwich Village: It’s official … Gray’s Papaya on 8th Street has endorsed Bloomberg for president, “because he walks the walk and talks the talk.” Sure, but does he bite the dog? [Blog Chelsea]
Trying to Understand the Times Square StreakerIt’s not every day that you wake up in the morning to find a picture of one of your former classmates naked on the cover of the New York Post. But such is the case today with Josh Drimmer, the Times Square Streaker. Drimmer, who graduated from Yale with one of your Daily Intel editors, gave no reason for why he walked up Seventh Avenue with no clothes on, entering a restaurant and jumping on the counter briefly, before getting scooped up by police and sent to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation. An actor and editor at a school newspaper while in college, Drimmer is a playwright and also writes a blog called Excellence Makes Wack Irrelevant. Though Drimmer was not a member of Yale’s infamous Pundits, the prankster group which hands out candy while nude in the library during finals, your editor seems to remember seeing him as a guest at one or two of their naked parties. Which doesn’t necessarily explain why he might walk naked around New York’s most touristy intersection. Oh, wait. The Post already has the answer: He’s a “hipster.” Ah, it’s so simple!
Welcome to Times ‘Bare’ [NYP] (Check out the photo gallery. Seriously.)
The Orange Line
Riding the B Line: The Zen of Sake Bar HagiWe’re riding the B and V from Coney Island all the way to Forest Hills, jumping off frequently to rave about our favorite restaurants and food stores near the subway.
This Week: 47th-50th Streets
neighborhood watch
Children Banned From Hotel Chelsea LobbyChelsea: Children have been banned from the lobby of the Chelsea Hotel, reportedly because a rude kiddie called a maid a bitch. [Living with Legends]
Flushing: Angry residents have stopped the LIRR from cutting down trees along the rail line, which they did to keep wet, slip-slidey leaves off the tracks. [Queens Chronicle via Queens Crap]
Greenpoint: It’s getting ugly between outspoken hood blogger Miss Heather and commenters who appear to be linked to 110 Green Street, the noisy condo-in-progress that Miss H. and other locals hate. [Newyorkshitty]
Gowanus: Brooklyn parrots have landed in Thomas Greene Park — and they’re so cute! (Though the linked photo, while of a Brooklyn parrot, wasn’t taken in Gowanus. Aw.) [Gowanus Lounge]
Prospect Heights: Locals cleaned up the hood this weekend while socking it to Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner. [Atlantic Yards Report]
Times Square: Thankfully, there’s plenty of places on Seventh Avenue where you can buy computers, cameras, luggage and … galerie? What’s galerie? [East Village Idiot]
Upper West Side: The line outside the Delacorte for tickets to tonight’s free 40th-anniversary staging of Hair is out of control! [Newyorkology]
neighborhood watch
Coen Brothers Un-Brooklyn the HeightsBrooklyn Heights: For a new film, the Coen Brothers repainted and tweaked the façades of some brownstones here to make them look more like D.C.’s Georgetown hood. Now that ain’t right. [Brownstoner]
Chelsea: After disappearing from Seventh and 23rd for a while after the cops (reluctantly) busted him for playing an amped guitar, scruffy Vlad is back … with an even louder steel resonator guitar they can’t nab him for because it’s acoustic. [Blog Chelsea]
Greenpoint: Enviro-crusadress Julia Roberts — uh, Erin Brockovich — may be here again this month to blast Exxon for its subterranean oil spill just revealed to be nearly twice as big as thought. Meanwhile, Sotheby’s has arrived in this scrappy hood. [NYDN]
Long Island City: Did you know that the huge Citibank building here is actually the spire of a giant sundial? Neither did we. And even after reading this, we can’t figure out how this thing works. [OuterB]
Maspeth: Bloomberg’s people will meet with folks here protesting to save a church, even though one of the rabble-rouser’s posters claimed he wanted to hang the mayor. [Queens Crap]
Times Square: An old vaudeville theater turned porn emporium on Eighth and 44th will be torn down. [Postcards from Hell’s Kitchen]
Williamsburg: Uh, maybe somebody should shore up that scaffolding at 70 North 9th Street before it collapses and hurts someone. [Gowanus Lounge]
the morning line
Three Punished for Deutsche Deaths
• More than a week after the Deutsch Bank blaze killed two firefighters, three FDNY honchos have been reassigned for failing to regularly inspect the building or come up with a plan to fight a fire there. [NYT]
Neighborhood Watch
Gorge on BBQ in Chelsea This SundayChelsea: Hill Country, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que and Mara’s Homemade are all taking part in the Hudson River Park Trust’s Blues BBQ on Pier 54 this Sunday from 2 to 9 p.m. [TONY]
East Village: Monday’s Regional Dinner at Mercadito will highlight Mexico’s southern region with a menu featuring banana-leaf-wrapped pork and tres leches cake. [Grub Street]
Flatiron: Hill Country is hiring someone who can cut meat — must love high-energy restaurants. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Lower East Side: Wylie Dufresne switched up the bread at wd-50 from black to white sesame-seeded flatbread. [At the Sign of the Pink Pig]
Midtown West: Today is the last day of the Rockefeller Center greenmarket, but a farmer tells us there may be a deal to bring it back for fall. [Grub Street]
Soho: The developer behind the new glass hotel that will overlook 60 Thompson is Brack Capital Real Estate. [Down by the Hipster]
Times Square: Mickey D’s at 46th Street and Broadway is testing out a new Angus third-pounder that’s both thicker and juicier than their basic patty. [A Hamburger Today]
West Village: Jarnac has reopened with a new paint job, but in a week they’ll shut down again for summer vacation. [Eater]
in other news
The British Are Coming! And They Expect to be Disappointed!
According to a poll of British people, the Statue of Liberty and Times Square are two of the most disappointing tourist attractions in the world. On a list of the top ten most boring spots, they fall behind the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa, both in Paris. We imagine if they didn’t inherently hate the French so much, the English would have ranked the two New York gems at the top of the list. We have two responses: (1) You’re never getting a street named after you now and (2) ahem, Stonehenge?
Eiffel Tower Most Disappointing Tourist Spot [Daily Telegraph]
photo op
Old Kissers Neither Die Nor Fade Away
Yesterday was the 62nd anniversary of V-J, and to commemorate this country’s hard-fought military victory over Japan in 1945, a bunch of guys dressed as sailors descended on Times Square to kiss a bunch of girls dressed as nurses, as they’ve been doing — or at least as we totally feel like they’ve been doing — every year on this anniversary for more than a few years now. It was a stirring, patriotic moment — or else just a chance for people who’ve never met before to engage in cheesy public displays of affection encouraged by a BID milking iconic imagery for its own marketing purposes. One of the two.
Neighborhood Watch
Rayuela Brings More Brunch to the LESDumbo/Fulton Ferry: Friday night at Rebar promises “free partial-nude drawing.” [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: Simone on First Avenue is closed, but let’s pray not for good. [Down by the Hipster]
Lower East Side: Rayuela has launched a weekend brunch with arepas and poached eggs, churros and Mayan chocolate, and guanabana mimosas plus live salsa music Sundays. [Grub Street]
Midtown West: Just when you thought he’d had enough of the limelight, Rocco DiSpirito will be the guest chef tomorrow at the Condé Nast cafeteria. [Eater]
Times Square: Ruby Tuesday will sidle up next to Red Lobster but may fare better with New York diners thanks to “fully upholstered chairs.” [Lost City]
Williamsburg: New fro-yo destination /eks/ whips up fresh organic yogurt and incorporates recycling holes into its cartoon-covered walls. [Gridskipper]
neighborhood watch
Hey, Water Taxi! Over Here! At North 7th Street!Carroll Gardens: Homeowners on 2nd Place are displaying solidarity, with a petition to restrict building heights to 50 feet. [McBrooklyn]
Chelsea: A construction crane got in a fight with a tree on 15th Street. The tree lost. [Blog Chelsea]
Clinton Hill: Yikes! Someone’s painting their brownstone white. [Brownstoner]
Glendale: Residents are fighting a developer who wants to reroute public bus service to entice more shoppers to his mall. [Queens Chronicle via Forest Hills 72]
Greenpoint: Watch out, construction workers. Neighborhood women wary of your catcalls have had enough. [Newyorkshitty]
Times Square: Look like a big jackass for less than $30! [NewYorkology]
Williamsburg: A temporary Water Taxi pier at North 7th Street would ease congestion on the L train. [I’m Not Sayin’, I’m Just Sayin’]
in other news
Disneyfied Subway Station Objectionable, AdorableSo there’s this cockamamy idea that the MTA could raise money by selling Disney the rights the advertise however the company sees fit in the Times Square station. “I would rather try to sell 42nd Street’s subway system underground to Disney for $60 million a year and have them paint it any way that they want to paint it,” board member Norman Seabrook suggested. We noticed this in the morning, and because we’re sort of opposed to the proliferation of advertising into every corner of life, and because we think there’s something untoward about selling public facilities to corporate sponsors, and just because we’re crotchety and don’t like change, we were against it. But then we saw the cute little logo Gothamist came up with for the combination — it’s a Mouseketeers hat! On the MTA logo! Ha! — and we should say we’re now sort of smitten.
Mickey Mouse for MTA? [Gothamist]
the morning line
Bruno’s Turn
• With the Spitzer camp circling the wagons, it’s Joe Bruno’s hour, and he’s taking full advantage of it: The State Senate leader called for multiple investigations into the administration, vowing, “This is not going to go away.” [NYP]
photo op
The Cutest Jailbird We Ever Did See
And how does New York commemorate Lindsay Lohan’s latest meltdown, which took place on the other coast? By dressing the Lohan wax sculpture at the Times Square Madame Tussauds in prison stripes. We kind of wish they’d redone the face, too, to match that crazy mug shot. Oh, well.
neighborhood watch
High Line to Get New Glass TowerChelsea: Architect Stephen Holl surprised Charlie Rose last night when he announced on the TV show that he’s designing a glassy tower for the “spur” of the High Line, at 30th Street. [BlogChelsea]
Dumbo: Some jerk decapitated the Urban Fossil Bird Woman sculpture in Brooklyn Bridge Park! That wasn’t very cool. [DumboNYC]
Greenpoint: Locals will rally on Franklin Street tonight to say “No, No, No!” to harassment from landlords. [Newyorkshitty]
Kensington: Check the expiration date on items from Foodtown, locals warn. [KensingtonBlog]
Long Island City: Why is the Landmarks Preservation Commission fawning all over altered buildings on the LES but ignoring the historical buildings here? [Queens Crap]
Times Square: Remember the halcyon days when a walk down 42nd Street would yield leers from a real live pervert … not a giant M&M ad? [Copyranter]
NewsFeed
Falafel Innovations Power Chickpea’s Expansion Plans
Chickpea’s decision to give up frying their falafel filled us with sadness. Even if, as Eater suggested in their item on the subject, it was as a prelude to expansion, was this really the direction we wanted to see falafel go? The only good thing about these “nosh puppies,” for our money, was their oil-fried goodness. But Chickpea is expanding, executive chef Alex Schindler tells us, with locations planned for the Upper West Side, the meatpacking district, and Times Square, in the next year alone, and with the expansion must come plans to diversify and modernize the Chickpea trinity of falafel, hummus, and shawarma.
the morning line
Traffic Jam
• It’s down to the wire — the deadline for the legislature to approve Bloomberg’s congestion-pricing plan is today — and the still-unbowed mayor is pulling out all stops: Yesterday, he campaigned for it in three churches, fer chrissakes. [NYT]
it just happened
Reuters: Bomb Scare Closes Times SquareOnly because it would be selfish not to share our brief moments of paranoia, we’ll point out that Reuters is reporting there’s currently a bomb scare in Times Square. A “suspicious item” — perhaps a red bag — was found, and the southwest part of the square, in front the Reuters HQ, is apparently closed. Interestingly, no other news org seems to be reporting this, which makes us doubt the significance of this bulletin a bit. But, hey, you know the mantra of post-9/11 news editing: We saw something, so we’re saying something.
Update: Reuters is now reporting that the “suspicious item” was just “forgotten luggage.” So whoever left a red bag full of clothes on Seventh Avenue, please visit the lost and found at the Midtown South Precinct house.
Part of NYC’s Times Square Shut Down in Bomb Scare [Reuters]
NYC’s Times Square Reopens After Security Scare [Reuters]
the follow-up
Doing the Butt
You may or may not have caught the controversy we like to call Butts Over Broadway. See, an ad campaign was planned for Toto Washlet, a Japanese-made toilet that, essentially, does the wiping for you, and it included a Broadway billboard showing big, happy, and presumably clean and paper-free butts. Thing is, the billboard was to go on a building that houses a church, and the church’s minister successfully sought a restraining ordering preventing the ad from going up. But there’s one thing being ignored in all this: Never mind the ongoing battles of church and butt; what’s a Washlet like? Fortunately, New York is here for you. Stephen Milioti reviewed the Washlet for the mag back in December. His poster-worthy verdict? “The Washlet will make you forget toilet paper forever!” There’s much more explanation in the piece.
Open Water [NYM]
In Billboard for Bidet, Church Sees Times Square’s Seedy Past [NYT]
the morning line
It’s Not Easy Being a Steamroller
• Eliot Spitzer admits to the Times that his feud with Joe Bruno has become “ugly” and “eclipse[d] all discussion of policy and legislation.” Plus, all the personal attacks are upsetting Mrs. Spitzer, who now regrets her husband didn’t go into real estate. [NYT]
• The city is opening 290 “cooling centers” to help New Yorkers beat the heat; “I don’t care how strong you are, you should take some precautions,” Mayor Bloomberg declared, sounding even more like a testy grandmother than usual. [amNY]
• Now this is getting interesting: The Department of Transportation under Janette Sadik-Khan is trying to hire Danish planner Jan Gehl as a consultant (as Daily Intel reported two weeks ago), and now word is that his proposals include banning cars from Times Square. [NYDN]
• At the Phil Spector trial, the judge has allowed in a piece of blockbuster testimony from the producer’s bodyguard — who says he’s heard Spector say “all women should be shot in the head.” [WNBC]
• And a Manhattan psychologist, William Swan, is accused of groping a prospective assistant during an interview and showing her porn to boost her “assertiveness.” In an apparent triumph, she’s now assertive enough to sue and go to the press. [NYP]
Neighborhood Watch
Pioneer Bar-B-Q Not Dead After AllHell’s Kitchen: The last day to catch the Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center is tomorrow. [SpecialtyFood.com]
Lower East Side: The East Side Company Bar’s Black Cherry Daiquiri makes for a spot-on summer libation. [Down by the Hipster]
Red Hook: New owners plan to bring Pioneer Bar back, barbecue and all. [Eater]
Soho: Learn about the science of cooking from author Harold McGee in a three-day, $1,200 course starting July 14 at the French Culinary Institute. [Food Section]
Times Square: Celebrate Argentina’s independence from Spain tonight at Havana Central with a wine tasting hosted by Ellisa Cooper. [Grub Street]
Upper East Side: The MTA will change its design for the Second Avenue subway line to avoid closing two Food Emporiums. [Gothamist] And 62nd Street has gained a casual Italian restaurant, Pane e Vino, and a 24-hour eatery called David’s. [New York Social Diary]
photo op
Times Square Is Safe
There were two foiled car-bomb attempts in London Friday, a car-cum-fireball was driven into the Glasgow airport Saturday, and the British government has described the attacks as Al Qaeda–connected and raised the country’s terror-alert level to its highest setting, which suggests an attack is believed to be imminent. Meantime, back in New York, part of JFK was evacuated after what turned out to be cologne was left unattended in a terminal, and an abandoned car with brooms inside caused cops to close Riverside Park for a few hours while the hazmat team was brought in. So we guess we find it reassuring that there were SWATish-looking cops — with machine guns! — in Rockefeller Center on the way to work this morning, plus, apparently, rows of other cops on cute little motorcycles in Times Square. We especially dig the little scootery things.
neighborhood watch
Times Square Gets Butt-UglierBushwick: Finally, a place to share your memories of growing up around here. [BushwickBK]
Chelsea: First Ethan Hawke, and now Joe Franklin. Who will be the next celeb to show his support of Stanley Bard and family? [Living With Legends]
Clinton Hill: Don’t bitch that Brownstoner posts a preponderance of items about this hood … even the score by sending in tips about your hood! [Brownstoner]
Coney Island: Developer Joe Sitt hit a community meeting last night to drum up support for his embattled Coney plans, saying he’d go home and pray for good press. [Gowanus Lounge]
Harlem: How is it that construction starts here a full 45 minutes earlier than anywhere else in the city? [Above the Doorframe]
Highland Park: Who is poaching the beautiful wild American goldfinches in the Ridgewood Reservoir? For shame! [Queens Crap]
Times Square: A huge billboard of smiling buttocks will go up here soon to promote a new, built-in bidet-type gadget. [AdAge via Gothamist]
Woodside: More affordable housing will likely come to this part of Queens as well as to Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Corona. [NYDN via OuterB]
Neighborhood Watch
Brooklyn Heights Barge to Feature a Fake Beach, With HamburgersAstoria: Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden opens at 3 p.m. today and next Friday for teacher appreciation days. The public is welcome, and the BBQ’s sure to be fired up. [Joey in Astoria]
Brooklyn Heights: A swimming pool in a floating barge off the waterfront will take its maiden voyage July 4 and feature a man-made beach and concession stands. [NYP]
Chelsea: Hotelier André Balazs may have a hand in restoring the Chelsea Hotel. [NYP]
East Village: You need to send a recent photo of yourself if you plan on applying for one of the many positions still open at Tailor. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Flatiron: Former CBS news anchor Bob Schieffer will step in as front man to country band “Honky Tonk Confidential” on June 27 at Hill Country barbecue. Songs he’s written include “Little Lulu and Sister Hot Stuff” and “TV Anchorman.” [NYP]
Lower East Side: A tipster reports that Kossar’s Bialys has unveiled plans to sell hand-cut sushi from kosher vendor Eden Wok. [Grub Street]
Midwood: Dom De Marco’s scarlet letter from the Department of Health has been covered in expressions of support in the wake of DiFara’s most recent close. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Times Square: Brighton Beach’s Ladder Co. 169 brought home victory last night at Gallagher’s Fire Department grilled-steak-off fund-raiser. [NYDN]
photo op
And Now, Your Moment of Zen
It’s just not the summer solstice without a bunch of yoga enthusiasts frightening the tourists in Times Square. Happy second day of summer, everyone!
neighborhood watch
Bad Ad Placement in Times Square?Coney Island: Thor Equities ditches the residential portion of its redevelopment plans. Hotels instead. [Curbed]
Greenpoint: Free mattress available, if you want the bedbugs that come with it. [Newyorkshitty]
Long Island City: This Saturday would be a good time to recycle your air conditioner. [
Neighborhood Watch
Hearth Spawns a Wine Bar in the East VillageEast Village: It looks like Hearth may spawn a wine bar. [Eater] A date with Momofuku’s David Chang is only worth $1000 at auction (Jean-Georges Vongerichten brought in $6100) but that’s not too bad for a night at a dive bar. [Snack]
Greenwich Village: NYU is hosting a panel on Building a Food Professional Pedigree from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. this Thursday, with speakers including Michael Lomanaco and Florence Fabricant. [NYU]
Long Island City: The Food Film Festival at Water Taxi Beach kicks off tomorrow. [The Food Section]
Midtown West: Brasserie 8 1/2 will join the dessert-bar fray starting tonight by repackaging its lounge as After 8.5, and serving desserts after 8:30 p.m. — get it? [NYT]
Times Square: Insieme is starting weekday lunch service between noon and 2 p.m. [NYS]
Tribeca: Fresh Pie has been taken over by Ruben’s Empanadas at 149 Church Street. [Grub Street]
the morning line
Maxwell Wheat Will Not Be L.I. Poet Laureate
• Nassau County had its first poet laureate all picked out: Maxwell Corydon Wheat Jr. Then they discovered his poem that begins “Males and one woman / Sip coffee mornings in the White House, / Talk of desires about Iraq.” So that’s a no. Good call, incidentally: The poem is beyond awful. [NYT]
• Meet Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, a SUNY-Albany nanotech scientist who happens to be the best-remunerated state employee in New York. After last week’s record pay hike, his various salaries add up to an annual windfall of $947,538. Not that anyone’s counting. [NYP]
• Nothing like a crazed-insurance-broker yarn: Noel Lauria bought a bow and fired arrows out his UES window, landing a stray one through a neighbor’s terrace door. His explanation to the cops: “I’m turning 40.” [NYDN]
• Oh, goody, another “edgy” magician dangling over Times Square. The ingredients in the current mess: a guy named Criss Angel, a glass box, 6,000 pounds of concrete, and a crappy A&E show to promote. Go concrete! [amNY]
• And over the weekend, all manner of deformed, tattooed, and hairy freaks played baseball. Also, there was a Coney Island charity game, with the Sideshow By the Seashore performers battling the Cyclone staff. See what we did there? [Metro NY]
Neighborhood Watch
Whole Foods Blamed for Beetle Infestation on the Lower East SideBushwick: Too hard to keep organic? Resident and Blue Hill at Stone Barns alum Kelly Geary will purchase your share of produce from Community Supported Agriculture, turn it into weekly meals (and pies), then deliver it (citywide). Just join by the first week in June. [DailyCandy]
Long Island City: New Greek restaurant Agnanti opens Memorial Day near the Astoria pool. [LICNYC]
Lower East Side: Bowery Whole Foods blamed for beetle infestation in apartments at Avalon Christie Place. [Racked] Rumor mill set a-cranking with speculation that Keith McNally might turn an empty space on Essex and Canal into a Parisian brasserie. [Eater]
Red Hook: The Added Value farm that employs South Brooklyn teenagers will be featured on a PBS series dedicated to sustainable food. [Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn]
Times Square: You know that neon sign for Virgil’s? It’s a bowl of Chinese noodles. [Lost City]
West Village: A photo ode to Blue Ribbon Bakery’s indulgent sandwiches. [Gothamist] Former fab Bungalow 8 bouncer Armin Amiri’s new club, Socialista, will have a little person named Anthony manning the door. [NYP]
photo op
The Crossroads of Something
This afternoon in Times Square: Top, U.S. Navy sailors in town for Fleet Week cavort with the Knicks City Dancers; below, 32 women dressed in black and the Virginia Tech colors lie down on the sidewalk to commemorate the shooting rampage and protest “easy guns.”
neighborhood watch
Standing Up for Double-Parking Rights in the SlopeBoerum Hill: Neglected Thomas Green Park could become a $4 million skate park. [Brooklyn Paper]
Forest Hills: There’s a stop-work order on the demolition of a historic 72nd Avenue townhouse, but will the developer behind the demo honor it? [Forest Hills 72]
Harlem: A cute black and white Chihuahua named Bugzy has gone missing. Have you seen the adorable uptown critter? [Harlem Fur]
Park Slope: The 9th Street bike-lane opponents fear they’ll lose their ability to double park. [I’m Seeing Green]
Times Square: Even with guns, drugs, and hookers freely traded there, the Aladdin Hotel is still not the worst-ranked inn in the city. [NewYorkology]
Williamsburg: It came in the night. The long-dreaded pile driver for massive Billyburg condo devo the Edge, that is, heralding a massive project that will deprive locals of their waterfront view. [i’m not sayin’, i’m just saying’]
