MTA MetroCard

• First the Related Companies brought us a "luxury high line condo" and an Iron Chef. Then came Related's hot-ticket midtown Veneto (plus Le Cirque). Now here's a pretty Hell's Kitchen lake, plus the potential for West Nile, at a vacant Related-owned lot. (New York Times)
• Donald "The Donald"/"The Trump" Trump is officially found "unpersuasive" and "without merit"--at least that's what a state Supreme Court has said about his big West Side lawsuit. The 20 counts of that suit (19 of which have been dismissed) charged his former Hong Kong partners for undervaluing the Riverside South properties, which were sold last year to the Carlyle Group in a record-setting residential land deal. Undervalued? Just like Don. (The Real Deal)
• The Municipal Art Society's Kent Barwick battles it out with ACORN's Bertha Lewis within the hallowed pages of City Limits. Mr. Barwick is against the current plan for Atlantic Yards, and he invokes "justice and equity" to tell us why. In support, Ms. Lewis relies on the old "we don't have the luxury of the word 'should'" argument. (City Limits)
• Who knew DUMBO had been gentrified? The luxurious green hands of Whole Foods will be grabbing up some space across the river--possibly ABC Carpet's old 40,000 square feet at 20 Jay Street. (Curbed)
• The Number 6 is somehow named the best New York subway line for the third year in a row. (The N, aka The Never--get it?--comes in last on account of its infrequency, seat unavailability, dirtiness, etc.) The victorious No. 6, on the other hand, gets a measly "MetroCard Rating" of $1.40: at least the MTA Podcast doesn't cost anything. (Newsday)
- Max Abelson  read more »
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Most women in New York, whether they want to admit it or not, know that dating here revolves around  read more »

The high-end auction-house business is considered among the more genteel of professions.  read more »

The high-end auction-house business is considered among the more genteel of professions.  read more »

The high-end auction-house business is considered among the more genteel of professions.  read more »

The high-end auction-house business is considered among the more genteel of professions.  read more »

New Yorkers are a creative bunch, perhaps never more so than in the impromptu genius they display at  read more »

New Yorkers are a creative bunch, perhaps never more so than in the impromptu genius they display at  read more »

At the end of this afternoon's press conference, Freddy parted ways with Howard Dean, who'd just endorsed him as "the education candidate." Freddy hopped into a black sedan; Howard descended the stairs at 86th and Broadway to catch a downtown 1 train.

After a brief scuffle with a disagreeable MetroCard machine and a cranky turnstile, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee made it out to the platform just as the train's doors bing-bong'ed shut. The next train was full of rush hour commuters, most too exhausted to notice him. "This is my corporate jet!" Dean jibed, responding to a barb from Bloomberg earlier today.

So what came out of the actual presser? Freddy and Howard tried to maintain a tight focus on education, taking shots along the way at Mike's limitless campaign fund and his support for Bush. But everyone else wanted to talk about the flap over Freddy's blog. Finally, an exasperated Dean intervened: "What is this obsession with blogs? Does anybody care about education in this city?"

Piping up from behind, Senator Schneiderman joked: "You started it!"

Freddy was asked if he feels slighted by the Working Families Party, which will endorse him but won't bestow the coveted ballot line. "An endorsement by the Working Families Party is an endorsement," he insisted. "And as you all know, the Bloomberg forces very heavily contested this, so I'm very proud to have the endorsement of the Working Families Party."

Finally, Freddy and Howard wandered to Broadway where, along with a beaming Scott Stringer, they greeted straphangers coming out of the subway station.

"Weclome home West Siders!" Stringer hollered. His constituents looked bewildered as they surfaced into the media fray. "We've been waiting for you," he yelled. "This is the welcoming committee!"

From the edge of the crowd, an intrepid Columbia J-School student managed to shout a question: "Freddy, what do you say to Democrats for Bloomberg?"  read more »

Before the candidate could speak, Dean fired back. "What Democrats for Bloomberg?"

A few nights ago, my sister called from her cell phone to make dinner plans in Manhattan.  read more »

A few nights ago, my sister called from her cell phone to make dinner plans in Manhattan.  read more »

A reader was puzzled by the discrepancy between reports in the Times and in New York Magazine on Governor Pataki's counter-terror subway ride last week: New York: "After the press conference with Governor George Pataki, the mayor walked to the Lex (Pataki entered through a gate held open by one of his bodyguards; Bloomberg swiped a MetroCard) for a ride to City Hall." New York Times: "Down below, Mr. Pataki pulled out a MetroCard and tried to swipe it through the turnstile. It didn't work. Instead, the governor encountered that all-too-familiar message, 'Please swipe again.' He obliged. This time it worked."

So did he? Or didn't he?  read more »

Pataki spokeswoman Mollie Fullington emails that Pataki "most certainly" swiped.

"I wonder who that mysterious very tall man was," she adds.

Perhaps the staff of the Food Emporium at 1066 Third Avenue should have known something was up on Ju  read more »

I know it seems like a late start, but I was 22 my first time.  read more »

I felt my understanding and empathy for my fellow New Yorkers swell like a big glowing orb of Care B  read more »

A couple of months ago, the tranquillity of a summer evening at Shea Stadium was jolted when fans we  read more »

Halloween seems to be turning into a year-round holiday, at least for crooks. At 2:33 p.m. on Nov.  read more »

Two inches of rain shuts down parts of the subway system.  read more »

Armed Robbers Hold UpTony Madison Ave. Boutique  read more »

10-13: Cop Calls for BackupIn Gift-Card Scam on Third Ave.  read more »

Mom Delivers Baby,Stork Snatches Purse  read more »

Changing of the GuardAt the 20th Precinct  read more »

Most women in New York, whether they want to admit it or not, know that dating here revolves around  read more »

When I take the subway, and enter into that labyrinth of tunnels and tracks that transport some five  read more »

In Jumpy City, National Guard Springs Into Action The National Guard apparently isn't significantly  read more »

Thieves Make Sport Of Victims' Workouts Health-club memberships are expensive enough that no one sho  read more »

A Meaningful Glance- And the Jig Is UpThe members of the 19th Precinct Grand Larceny Squad experienc  read more »

You'd need a bolt-cutter to get into the Mayfair Club now, where once all you needed was an introduc  read more »

Recently over loxand eggs at Barney Greengrass, I told my father I wanted to write an article  read more »

While no location in the city immediately comes to mind as being off-limits to crime, there are none  read more »