DNAinfo - manhattan local news

SoHo Residents Blame Soft Punishments for Thriving Illegal Handbag Business

SoHo & Little Italy Locals Disgusted Over Van & Apartment Illegal Goods Sales After Chinatwon Raid(Photo: Courtesy of David Bober)

SoHo and NoLiTa residents don't think the selling of counterfeit goods has slowed down despite hundreds of arrests in the last year.

Tags: Politics, SoHo, Tribeca & NoLita

Breast Milk is For Babies Not for Chelsea Cheese, Says Breast Feeding Group

La Leche League, a breast-feeding advocacy group, says breast milk is for babies and should stay that way.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Family Matters comment

City Moves on Recycling Plant for Hudson River Where Some Locals Wanted Park Space

Dept of Sanitation Calls For Bids For Waste Dump at Hudson River Park(Wikimedia Commons/Jim.henderson)

The city wants to build a recycling plant on an open stretch of Hudson River Park that some local residents were hoping to see used as a recreational space.

Tags: Family Matters, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Arts & Entertainment | The Village comment

Twitter Faithful Sniff Out Secret Location of Black Eyed Peas Performance

Black Eyed Peas Secret Concert Taking Place in Time Square

Band's attempt to to keep location under wraps foiled by determined Twitter users.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Midtown East & Kips Bay

Business & Economy | Chelsea comment

Chelsea Hotel Postpones Plan for Lobby Bars Amid Tenant Discontent

Chelsea Hotel Residents Fear Arthur Miller's Room is Getting 'Trashed'(Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

Management pulls out again, saying it wants to resolve tensions with residents.

Tags: Business & Economy, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Oscars Host Alec Baldwin's Next Gig? NYU Commencement in May.

Oscars Host Alec Baldwin's Next Speaking Gig Will Be at NYU Commencement(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

"30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin is going from the Oscars red carpet to New York University to speak to students at their graduation this spring.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Greenwich Village

Inspired by Grandfather Marc Chagall, a Florist Creates Art in the East Village

Bella Meyer Creates Art With Flowers, Inspired by Grandfather Marc Chagall(Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

Bella Meyer begins a floral arrangement with a sketch — a trick she learned from her grandpa.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Science & Technology comment

Danny Meyer's Gramercy Tavern May Get Ingredients From a Local School

Risotto(Gramercy Tavern/Ellen Silverman)

A school's rooftop garden could provide key ingredients to some of Manhattan’s elite restaurants.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Transportation comment

Historic Ocean Liner's Planned Move to Manhattan May Get Sunk, Activists Fear

Preservationists Hope to Galvanize Support to Bring Historic Ship SS United States to Manhattan(Photo: Big Ship Films)

Preservationists pushing to bring an ocean liner to New York worry a sale to a scrap yard is imminent.

Tags: Transportation, Upper East Side

Transportation comment

High Line Soars Over First Hurdle to Extend Park to 34th Street

High Line Near 34th Street(Photo by Jesse Chehak/Courtesy Friends of the High Line)

The city cleared the first major hurdle in extending the High Line up to 34th Street when a huge crowd gathered at a Midtown Community Board 4 meeting on Wednesday voted in favor of the proposal.

Tags: Transportation, Midtown West & Hells Kitchen

Health comment

NYU Smoking Ban Has Students, Village Residents Questioning Right to Control Sidewalks

NYU’s new smoking ban has left students and locals fuming over the legality of policy that bars lighting up within 15 feet of all entrances, exits and air vents of university buildings.

Tags: Health, West Village

Greenwich Village School Unveils Plans for New Rooftop Eco Lab

Bats, birds and more will make their homes in an eco-friendly science lab to be built on the roof of a Greenwich Village school.

Tags: Science & Technology, West Village

Real Estate comment

Hospital Nurses Pray For St. Vincent's Savior

St. Vincent's Nurses Pray For Ailing Debt-Ridden Hospital(Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

Seeing no solutions for the hospital's woes, dozens of medical center staff offer it up to higher power at hospital chapel.

Chelsea Bakery Les Desirs Patisserie Closes Down For Good

Chelsea Bakery Les Desirs Patisserie Closes For Good(Photo: Courtesy of Les Desirs Patisserie)

French bakery Les Desirs Patisserie closed last Thursday after serving up croissants and pastries in Chelsea for almost 50 years.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Only In New York comment

Manhattanites Hit the Snow-Covered Hills in Central Park

While Manhattan’s streets were empty during the snowstorm, Central Park's snow-capped white hills were full with New Yorkers who turned out to sled, ski and snowboard.

Tags: Only In New York, Upper West Side

Real Estate comment

SoHo Residents Relieved Sullivan Street Rezoning Plans Withdrawn

SoHo residents and preservationists are celebrating the withdrawal of a controversial rezoning plan that could have replaced a small neighborhood bakery with a trendy nightclub.

Health 3comments

NYU Bans Smoking on Public Sidewalks Outside School Buildings

NYU is stepping up its war on cigarettes by banning smoking on public sidewalks outside school buildings.

Tags: Health, East Village

Crime | The Village comment

Gas Leak Shuts Down West 4th Street Businesses

Fire Trucks on West 4th Street(Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

The fire department is investigating a gas leak Wednesday that has closed several businesses in Greenwich Village.

Tags: Crime, Greenwich Village

Education | SoHo comment

TriBeCa Parents Will Face Lotteries at P.S. 234 Despite New School Zones

After months of wrangling over new school zones that were supposed to reduce overcrowding, parents still face a lottery.

Tags: Education, SoHo, Tribeca & NoLita

Sports comment

Eli Manning to Pass on Cash from St. Vincent's Hospital

Eli Practices with Giants, could Start Sunday(Flickr user Alexa)

Eli Manning is taking a hit in his wallet for ailing St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Tags: Sports, West Village

Arts & Entertainment | SoHo 2comments

Plan for New Restaurant at Imette St. Guillen Abduction Location Meets Opposition

Celebrity chef Michael White wants to open a restaurant at the location where a student was abducted five years ago.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, SoHo, Tribeca & NoLita

Real Estate | Chelsea comment

Roxy Nightclub Rebirth Squashed by Chelsea Neighborhood Outcry

The Roxy will not be reborn, as vocal community members killed a plan to build a mega-club where the famed roller rink and nightclub once stood.

Tags: Real Estate, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Politics 1comment

Community Board Leader Julie Menin Traverses City to Oppose 9/11 Terror Trials

CB1 Chair Julie Menin Changes Her Mind, Will Run For Re-election(DNAinfo/Suzanne Ma)

Community Board 1 chair Julie Menin is one of many local politicians fighting to move the 9/11 trials out of Manhattan.

Tags: Politics, Greenwich Village

Real Estate | SoHo comment

Shake Shack Abandons Plan for NoLIta Outlet After Neighborhood Complaints

Burger Wars: 5 Napkin Move into the Upper West Side(Serena Solomon/DNAinfo)

NoLIta residents won't be chugging down milkshakes and burgers from Shake Shack anytime in the near future.

Shake Shack Burgers Heading to Upper East Side(DNAinfo/Gabriela Resto-Montero)

Tags: Real Estate, SoHo, Tribeca & NoLita

Designer Nanette Lepore Wants Garment District Preserved

Nanette Lepore Says the Garment Center Must Be Saved(Josh Williams & Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

Nanette Lepore discusses the threats to the Garment District, the neighborhood that gave her her start.

Tags: Politics, Midtown West & Hells Kitchen

Arts & Entertainment | Manhattan comment

For Fashion Week Wardrobe Malfunctions, Fashionistas Send For Upper East Side Cleaner

Upper East Side dry cleaner works on dress(Courtesy of Madame Paulette)

Madame Paulette has seen it all during Fashion Week — makeup, blood, vomit, food stains and whatever else could soil a couture garment.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Upper East Side

Cold, Slushy Snow Couldn't Stop Hot Outfits at Fashion Week

Bethenny Frankel from “The Real Housewives of New York City” arrives at fashion week(DNAinfo/Josh Williams)

The slushy snowy weather couldn’t stop fashionistas from turning out in top outfits for a full day at Fashion Week.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Manhattan

Arts & Entertainment | Midtown West comment

'Gossip Girl' Stars Michelle Trachtenberg, Jessica Szohr Hit Fashion Week

Celebrities of the big and small screens traded in their starring roles Monday for seats in the audience at Fashion Week in Bryant Park.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Midtown West & Hells Kitchen

Fashion Week's Youngest Designer has Arrived in Bryant Park

Fashion Week's Youngest Designer Has Arrived ? And She's Only 10(Josh Williams/DNAinfo)

Fashion Week’s latest young designer has emerged — and she’s only 10 years old.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Midtown East & Kips Bay

Chelsea Exhibition Promotes Efforts to Save The Garment District

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Arts & Entertainment 1comment

Alexander McQueen's Meatpacking District Show Cancelled On Day of His Death

Alexander McQueen was scheduled to present his latest installment of the McQ line in the Meatpacking District on Thursday.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Fashion Week Gives Bryant Park Long Kiss Goodbye

Fashion Week Celebrates Last Hoorah in Bryant Park, Possibly New Tents to Come(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

After a 17-year run, the iconic white tents of Fashion Week went up for the last time in Bryant Park.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Midtown East & Kips Bay

'Project Runway' Judge Nina Garcia Slips in Bryant Park

Project Runway judge(DNAinfo/Nicole Breskin)

"Project Runway" judge Nina Garcia was less than graceful while walking through snow-filled Bryant Park on Friday.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Midtown East & Kips Bay

Arts & Entertainment | Upper West Side comment

Fashion Week Won't Stop For Snow, But Some Shows Rescheduled

Fashion Week will go as planned on Thursday despite the blizzard.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Midtown East & Kips Bay

Upper West Side Movie Theaters Get Mid-Week Box Office Boost Thanks to Snow

Upper West Side Movie Theaters Receive Box Office Boost, Thanks to Snow(Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

Local movie theaters received a box office boost Wednesday, thanks to the blizzard that made it impossible to stay outside for long.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Upper West Side

Politics | The Village comment

Firefighters Hope to Bring Back Memories of Lost Ones Through Plaques at Anderson Cooper's Firehouse

Anderson Cooper Firehouse(gongus / flickr)

The father of a firefighter who lost his life on 9/11 is holding out hope that Anderson Cooper’s new home in a historic firehouse might honor his son and others who gave their lives to protect city residents.

Tags: Politics, Greenwich Village

Politics | Chelsea comment

Chelsea Stop on the Underground Railroad Gets Historic District Nod From City Council

City Council Votes to Landmark HIstoric Underground Railroad Stop, Lamartine District(Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

A dozen buildings in Chelsea that played a critical role in the abolitionist movement were designated as a historic district.

Tags: Politics, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Arts & Entertainment | Midtown East 1comment

Employees Rally in Greenwich Village Against Shoe Mania For $3 Million in Unpaid Wages

Tags: Politics, Gramercy, Flatiron & Union Square

Naomi Campbell to Stage Haiti Benefit During Fashion Week

Super model Naomi Campbell is staging a celebrity-filled Fashion For Relief runway show and auction to benefit Haiti as part of fashion week next week.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, Midtown East & Kips Bay

Crime | Midtown West comment

Bronze Star Sgt. Demoted After Gay Hate Crime Against Local DJ

Bronze Star Benjamin Ford Convicted, Following Gay Bashing at McCoys in Hell's Kitchen

A bronze star recipient will lose a stripe and take a pay cut as punishment from a military court for a gay hate crime that occurred on Manhattan's West Side.

Tags: Crime, Midtown West & Hells Kitchen

Seniors Say Saving St. Vincent's Will Save Lives

The Existence of St.Vincent's Emergency Facility Could Differentiate Between Life and Death for Patients(Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

Taking away St. Vincent’s Hospital’s emergency room could could harm elderly patients in the Village.

Tags: Politics, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Real Estate 3comments

Anderson Cooper's Firehouse Will Be Preserved, Architect Says

Anderson Cooper's architect promised that the newsman's $4.3 million firehouse in Greenwich Village will be largely preserved.

Real Estate 1comment

Anderson Cooper's Firehouse Sounds Alarm Bells for Greenwich Village Preservationists

Anderson Cooper's $4.3 million purchase of a Village firehouse has set off alarm bells, and local preservationists are hoping the Landmarks Preservation Commission will stop him from any renovations that reduce the building's historic value.

Education | The Village comment

NYU Gets Record Number of Applicants for Undergraduate Admission

Thomas Jefferson must be rolling in his grave — hipsters flocking to the city in droves to attend NYU have upended the traditional college education paradigm.

Tags: Education, Greenwich Village

West Villagers Float Greenmarket Plan for Pier 40

West Villagers Want to See Pier 40 Transformed into a Greenmarket, Study Says(Photo: Courtesy of the Hudson River Park Trust)

West Village residents are hoping to attract a greenmarket to Pier 40 that could rival Union Square and help revitalize the area.

Tags: Politics, West Village

Yetta Kurland's Sick Dog May Lead to Pet Care Activism

Yetta Kurland's Dog Salvatore Sick Could Prompt Political Moves(Photo: Courtesy of Yetta Kurland)

Social justice activist Yetta Kurland’s next political battle could be as an advocate for New York City pets.

Tags: Politics, Chelsea and Meatpacking District

Little Italy Motorcycle Ride May Go Ahead Without Approval

motorcycles parked downtown after Garlic Run(bklynhog.com)

A motorcycle club plans to ride into Little Italy for its annual children's benefit in June with or without community board approval.

Tags: Politics, SoHo, Tribeca & NoLita

Arts & Entertainment | SoHo comment

Homeless Manhattanites Featured in SoHo Art Exhibition

Homeless Manhattanites Find Sense of Place Through Art Exhibition(Photo: Courtesty of Pamela Parlapiano)

An art exhibition portraying the daily struggles of Manhattan's homeless population is on display in a SoHo gallery until the end of the month.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment, SoHo, Tribeca & NoLita

SoHo Caught in a 'Turf War' After Canal Street's Vendors Invade Neighborhood

Sellers of counterfeit handbags have moved beyond Canal Street to SoHo and NoLiTa where they are hawking fake goods out of vans, trucks and alleys, much to the dismay of residents.

Tags: Politics, SoHo, Tribeca & NoLita

Real Estate comment

Esperanto Café Closes Following Feud Between Owner and Landlord

Esperanto Caf� Closes on MacDougal Following Feuds Between Owner and Landlord(Nicole Breskin/DNAinfo)

Popular student hangout and coffee fixture Esperanto Café will close following feuds between the café owner and the landlord, according to the superintendent.