Month: January 2012

The huge space on Broadway between 79th and 80th Streets that housed Filene's Basement for almost 20 years will be filled by a new retailer come June: DSW. A rumor brought to us by our talented local sleuth Emily Baer was confirmed by a store rep. DSW, which has another ...

January 31, 2012 Weather: Partly cloudy, High of 55 Degrees. News: Not only does the city want the new Tavern on the Green to serve sweaty customers, it also wants the restaurant to look like it did in the 40's. (Gothamist) The Central Park Conservancy reveals the answer to Holden ...

Occupy Wall Street protesters were forced to leave West-Park Presbyterian Church on Saturday after a series of disturbing incidents at the church, including two major thefts. The sign above was hung from the side entrance where the Occupiers used to enter (West Side Rag reader Michael sent us the picture). ...

By Stan Solomon It was a most ‘dark-and-stormy-night,’ and there we were, headed up Columbus Avenue, running late for a dinner date. “We” means myself -- attempting to hold an umbrella and steer my aging-but-trusty mobility scooter -- and my wife, keeping pace beside me. Ahead was yet another curb ...

January 30, 2012 Weather: Mostly Sunny, High of 40 Degrees.

By Karen Farber Early on Friday I was coming home from walking my dog and as I passed by 151 West 74th Street I did a double-take.  What I had originally thought was a small dog sitting outside the building waiting for its owner turned out to be a fully ...

A fellow nature lover recently told me of seeing a black squirrel repeatedly in the northern end of Central Park. So I ventured out to find it.

Alexander Rosario, a 17-year-old, left St. Luke's Hospital on 114th Street on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. and hasn't been seen since, according to the NYPD. He is in good physical condition, but "poor mental condition." Police are asking for the public's help to locate him. Update: He returned on Saturday ...

Two new restaurants are planning to open in place of two spots that recently closed. Thai Nam, an unloved Thai restaurant on Amsterdam Avenue between 80th Street and 81st Street, was closed by the Department of Health at the beginning of the year, and appears to have never reopened its ...

The Central Park Conservancy has been moving trash cans in the park, trying to get them out of landscaped areas where people congregate and push the cans to the periphery. The decision is meant to make the park more attractive, make trash-pickup more

January 27, 2012 Weather: Rain, High of 55 Degrees.

Organic Avenue opened a location on 82nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue today, and the new store is offering a 20% discount on something called a LOVE "deep cleanse" to celebrate. Personally, I tend to celebrate with alcohol or chocolate, rather than "going deep and getting drenched with vital nutrients," but ...

January 26, 2012 Weather: Rain/Snow, High of 43 Degrees.

You don't want to get Alaskans angry. No one can live that close to grizzly bears and Sarah Palin and stay calm and collected for long. Just recently a few Alaskan politicians got angry, and they did something kind of...crazy! Pissed that the federal government isn't letting them drill in ...

January 25, 2012 Weather: Partly cloudy, High of 44 Degrees.

Editor's Note: We asked Nick Prigo, a member of Community Board 7, to update us on  a development proposal for a 20-story nursing home planned for 97th Street in Park West Village. Jewish Home Lifecare is currently located at 106th Street (pictured below) but has swapped that property with land ...

Spring Natural Kitchen, a spinoff of longtime SoHo restaurant Spring Street Natural, just opened on Columbus Avenue between 82nd and 83rd Streets with a robust menu full of organic ingredients. While there are lots of options for vegetarians and vegans, including an enticing Moroccan stew, the menu is also filled ...

January 24, 2012 Weather: Partly Cloudy, High of 50 Degrees.

About a week ago, Reverend Robert Brashear entered West-Park Presbyterian Church on West 86th Street, where he is the pastor, and found that the cover and basin of the bronze baptismal font was gone. Occupy Wall Street protesters have been sleeping at the church, and Brashear's laptop had already gone ...

As you can imagine, Congressman Jerry Nadler, who represents the Upper West Side and other parts of  Manhattan and Brooklyn, heard a lot from his constituents about new legislation in Congress meant to curb online piracy. Two bills with the acronyms SOPA and PIPA aim to stop online piracy, particularly ...