Earlier today, an airplane buzzed Wall Street towing a banner that said, “Thanks For The Downgrade. You Should All Be Fired.” Update: FORTUNE got in touch with the person who flew it. She’s a Midwestern mother and an investment banker. [More]
new york city
Real Estate Ad: Fancy Apartments Lead To Sex With A "Better Quality Of Woman"
By 8.3.11
It’s not a shock that some people find a luxury home — especially something like a tricked-out, multi-million dollar NYC apartment — to be a bit of an aphrodisiac, perhaps to the point of overlooking the other person’s less attractive qualities. But a NYC real estate broker has decided to do more than just hint at this behavior in its new ad. [More]
Banks Letting Foreclosed NYC Homes Fall Into Dangerous Disrepair
By 7.25.11
Though New York City real estate remains at a relative premium, a new report says that banks have ignored the upkeep of thousands of seized foreclosure properties, allowing them to fall into horrid levels of disrepair. [More]
Warning: Do Not Buy A Pet While You Are Drunk
By 7.14.11
Oh, it happens far more often than any of us are willing to admit. You go out one evening and have a few drinks too many, and the next thing you know, you wake up to find a strange beagle in your bed, wagging its tail, and a credit card receipt from a pet store. Dog? What dog? You never wanted a dog…at least, not when you’re sober. This scenario is enough of an actual problem for some Manhattan pet stores located near bars and clubs that they will turn away customers who have clearly been drinking. [More]
Don't Even Think Of Smoking In New York Parks And Beaches
By 5.23.11
New York City, a pioneer at smoking bans in restaurants, bars and workplaces, has extended its policies to the outside world, with a new law that makes smoking in city parks, beaches or public plazas a crime punishable by a $50 fine. [More]
H2O Police Says Just Light A Match Before Drinking
By 5.5.11
At first glance this sticker I spotted on a water fountain appears to be from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, telling citizens that they’ve checked out the water and it’s probably safe. If you have any doubts about there being chemicals in there that seeped in because of hydraulic fracturing, don’t worry, just turn on the spigot and do the ‘ol match test and see if it bursts into flame. Wait, what? [More]
Guy Wins Race Against NYC Bus On Big Wheel
By 4.7.11
If you’ve ever ridden the bus in New York City, you know it is a damn slow experience. But, unlike a taxi, it’s a couple of bucks, and unlike a subway, it’s above-ground. So people put up with it. But exactly how slow is an MTA bus? Mark Malkoff decided to test it out and he videotaped himself racing a bus, down 42nd st from 10th to Madison ave, on a child’s Big Wheel. Turns out the guy who makes the wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town, has some catching up to do. [More]
New York City Council To Consider Happy Meal Ban
By 4.5.11
Months after San Francisco’s city government voted to effectively ban fast food kids’ meals by requiring that they meet certain health requirements, legislators in New York City may soon face a similar decision. [More]
Train Station Closes Bathroom To Public, Pisses Off Passengers
By 1.26.11
A scrawled note scotch-taped to the New Rochelle train station in New York tells passengers that they better hold it. The city has decided that’s it too expensive to keep the bathrooms open. The recession takes its toll on your toilet. [More]
NYC Parks To Get Free WiFi, At A Price
By 1.26.11
New Yorkers are slated to get free wifi in 32 public parks next year, but it will come with a pricetag. Park users will get three 10 minute sessions per month, and after that pay 99 cents a day. The money goes to Time Warner and Cablevision, who agreed to provide the wifi as part of the city agreeing to renew their cable-tv franchises for 10 years. Public advocates promptly slammed the deal as the privatization of a public good. [More]
Sanitation Whistleblowers Say Department Intentionally Delayed NYC Snow Removal
By 12.30.10
Was the slow snow removal in New York City the result of a planned Sanitation Department protest to make the Mayor pay for reducing their staff? That’s what several whistleblowers are reportedly saying, according to the New York Post. [More]
For $27M NYC Turns Caps-Lock Off Street Signs
By 10.1.10
250,900 street signs in New York City will be changed from all-caps to initial caps, where only the first letter is capitalized. The legibility will save lives, say the federal guidelines mandating the change, which will cost the city $27.6 million to implement. [More]
New York's Water Filled With Invisible Shrimp
By 8.31.10
New York’s water is some of the most delicious in the land, and it’s filled with teeny-tiny shrimp. [More]
NYC Wants A Grocery Store, Goldman Sachs Wants A Glorious Ballroom
By 8.2.10
Some New York City locals feel that they were promised a grocery store and maybe a hardware store when Goldman Sachs was approved to buy a building in their neighborhood, and are extremely upset to find out they’re getting a trio of restaurants from Danny Meyer, a ballroom and a conference center. [More]
NYC Store's Vigilante Justice Against Shoplifters May Be Extortion, Or Maybe Not
By 6.21.10
The NYT says that a local independent supermarket in Queens has an interesting way of dealing with shoplifters. If they catch you, the store’s security guards take your ID, photograph you and then fine you. If you refuse to give up the money (usually $400, according to the manager), the workers threaten to post your picture and call the police. [More]
New York Proposes Nation's Highest Cigarette Taxes
By 6.19.10
Cigarettes may cost more than $10 per pack in New York under the state’s latest plan to close a $9 billion budget gap. In New York City, the tax alone on a pack of cigarettes would rise to $5.85. And cigarettes aren’t the only carcinogens set for a tax bump under the proposal. [More]
Costumed Sea Creatures Occupy NYC BP Station
By 5.28.10
A gaggle of costumed sea creatures plan to occupy the SoHo BP station in NYC tonight at 6pm to protest the company’s response to the oil spill. However, while the threat of makeshift sea turtles descending on Houston and Lafeyette is wonderful to contemplate, because BP stations are independently-owned, only the local business owner will be harmed by the disruption in commerce. Media points against BP will be harder to score. This particular station is a mecca for taxi cab drivers in the area, who will most likely find any difficulties in getting gas on a busy holiday weekend night to be less than hilarious. UPDATE: Local news coverage: [More]
Service Cuts Mean $800,000 In New Signs For New York Subways
By 5.11.10
The New York subway is facing a budget crisis that is taking a toll on services. Deep cuts that will eliminate two trains and several bus routes have resulted in a pressing need for new signage. What will all these new signs cost? $800,000. [More]
