Lower Manhattan

Maury Rubin on City Bakery and Birdbath's Delicious Coconut Macaroons

Maury Rubin, owner of City Bakery and Birdbath, grew up eating coconut macaroons--the ultimate Passover dessert--from a Manischewitz can. Years later, he introduced a more refined version at his baked goods empire in Lower Manhattan. The huge, pyramid-shaped monsters are browned on each corner to cr ... More >>

Faced With A Lawsuit, J.P. Morgan Chase Claims Plaza is Private

A year and a half after the fences first went up around Chase Manhattan Plaza, new court filings show the fight over public access to the space is still heated. We've written extensively about the fight over the fences, which were first erected the day before Occupy Wall Street protesters first gat ... More >>

Fresh Salt Reopens Near South Street Seaport, Randazzo's Clam Bar Reopens in Sheepshead Bay

Two Sandy-stricken restaurants are back on their feet after a brutal few months of rebuilding. South Street Seaport has been barren since the hurricane but Fresh Salt on Beekman Street will be cooking its regular menu on Thursday, after being able to serve only drinks for the past week. Randazzo's ... More >>

Even the Banks are Paying a Penalty for Sandy

Winter is coming

Sandy, Occupy, and the City's Failures

A Storm of Controversy

Andrew Cuomo Actually Acknowledges Idiot Rabbi's Gay Marriage/Hurricane Rant

Every time a natural disaster destroys entire communities, a handful of religious idiots blame it on gay people and the politicians who defend their civil rights. Hurricane Sandy is no exception.In most cases, however, the moronic ramblings of fringe lunatics are routinely ignored by elected officia ... More >>

NYC Marathon: Stupid Media Tent For Even Stupider Race Gets Power Before Thousands Of New Yorkers

UPDATE: Mike Bloomberg Defends Running the Marathon.If you're reading this, you're probably one of the lucky New Yorkers who currently has electricity -- or you're in a NYC Marathon media tent in Central Park that (as outrageous as it may sound) is getting electricity via-several diesel-powered gene ... More >>

Report From the East and West Villages, Post-Apocalypse

Le Bonbonniere, the West Village's favorite greasy spoon, was operating by candlelight last night. Over the last three days, as the reality of the storm's extreme impact downtown has become increasingly apparent, Villagers have pumped their basements and tried to lead some semblance of normal live ... More >>

Sandy Intensifies; Situations Worsens; Police, Fire Straining to Respond to Rescue Calls

As the storm intensifies tonight, reports of calamity are flowing in, particularly in the Rockaways, sections of Queens and Brooklyn. A city ambulance on Beach Channel Drive in southeastern Queens was reported surrounded with water, and the crew was sitting on the roof asking for a rescue. A fire i ... More >>

Terrorism, Kiddie-Porn, And Sword Play: Federal Reserve Bomb Plot Just Got Weird

The failed plot to blow up the Federal Reserve building in lower Manhattan yesterday just made the jump from terrifying to bizarre -- a man identified in federal court filings obtained by the Voice as a possible co-conspirator of 21-year-old Ahsan Nafis was arrested yesterday on kiddie-porn charges ... More >>

Hard Times: A Taste of 1863, Five Points, and Stephen Foster

A musical from Black 47's Larry Kirwan

NDAA Suit Argued In Federal Court Yesterday

The question being argued in federal court in Lower Manhattan yesterday boiled down to this: Is a law authorizing the indefinite military detention of American citizens with only the barest recourse to civil courts constitutional? The lawsuit against the Obama administration was filed in January by ... More >>

JP Morgan Chase Under Pressure Over Plaza Closure

Pressure is mounting on JP Morgan Chase to account for the ongoing closure of Chase Manhattan Plaza in Lower Manhattan. The Voice has been tracking the ongoing saga of the fenced-off public plaza since January -- see previous coverage below -- but others are starting to growing curious as well. Go ... More >>

OBIES 2012: What Off-Broadway Needs Now

We asked Off- and Off-Off theatermakers what they feel the scene is missing

Secret Waterproofing Plan For Chase Manhattan Plaza Goes To Court

Open space advocates fighting against the fencing off of Chase Manhattan Plaza in Lower Manhattan will have their day in court next month. The open space advocates, led by Richard Nagan, an expediter licensed by the Department of Buildings, first raised alarms when JP Morgan Chase erected barriers ... More >>

May Day! The Voice Staff's Live Coverage of Occupy Wall Street's M1NYC

Good morning, and welcome to the Village Voice's liveblog of May Day 2012, as the Occupy Wall Street movement calls for a "General Strike" and a day of protests around the city. Our reporters and photographers are fanned out across the boroughs. We'll be liveblogging their dispatches right here and ... More >>

There's Seriously Another Groper Roaming The Streets Of New York Right Now

Just when you thought "there couldn't possibly be another groper roaming the streets of New York," there's another groper roaming the streets of New York, which puts the total number of gropers operating in New York City right now at three, possibly four.The latest groper struck in Queens about 1:30 ... More >>

Occupy Wall Street: (Buckets Of) Shit Happens at Downtown ATM. Occupiers Blamed *VIDEO*

​A Philadelphia man was arrested on Friday after police say he dumped buckets of feces and urine at two separate downtown locations -- the stairs of an open-air plaza, and inside an ATM vestibule.The good news is we've got video of each dumping, which you can see after the jump.The NYPD is crediti ... More >>

Greg Kelly Will Not Be Charged With Rape

The District Attorney's office has decided not to charge the police commissioner's son, Greg Kelly, with any crimes, following the conclusion of a two-week-long investigation into accusations that he raped a woman last October. Kelly's accuser is a 28-year-old paralegal. She told police that she m ... More >>

Giants Ticker-Tape Parade Tomorrow; Go to Mayor's Twitter Right Now to Grab Ticket

We heard many of you screaming about the Giants on the streets and in bars last night -- but only 500 of you lucky fans will get to celebrate tomorrow afternoon at City Hall. For the rest of you, though, there's a parade! Late last night, the mayor's office announced plans for football festivities, ... More >>

Occupy the Airspace: Surveillance Drones for the 99 Percent

Max BraunWho's drone? Our drone!​At many points in the last two months, Occupy Wall Street's relationship with the New York Police Department has felt like an urban guerilla war, with skirmishes flaring up block by block across Lower Manhattan and particularly contentious conflicts -- the Taki ... More >>

Occupy Wall Street Pre Dawn Raid: A Photojournalist's Account

​Photographer C.S. Muncy, a regular contributor to the Voice, offers this account of his experiences during the NYPD pre-dawn raid Tuesday to clear Zuccotti Park. Muncy says, notably, that he was able to slip past the police cordon and get into the park, and that he was detained by police and ... More >>

Occupy 38: What Was the Occupation of a SoHo Gallery All About?

From Occupy 38's YouTube manifesto.​Is "Occupy Everything!" supposed to be taken literally? Maybe not, as evidenced by what happened at an art gallery in SoHo this weekend. Occupy Wall Street has spawned one main offshoot so far (Occupy Washington Square Park), and this weekend a new faction ... More >>

Occupy Wall Street Faces Its Neighbors At Contentious Community Board Meeting

Zoe SchlangerDrumming is one of the biggest problems neighbors have with Occupy Wall Street.​Last night, the Quality of Life and Financial District sub-committees of Community Board 1 held a hearing in Lower Manhattan. The topic was Occupy Wall Street, specifically the tense relationship the n ... More >>

Russell Brand at Occupy Wall Street

Russell Brand at Occupy Wall Street​Last night, as a driving rain fell on Lower Manhattan and the General Assembly of Occupy Wall Street debated whether to authorize a statement condemning the Democratic Party as a bought-and-paid for agent of corrupt Wall Street interests, Russell Brand visit ... More >>

Live: Neon Marshmallow Turns Up The Volume At Public Assembly

Grouper at Neon Marshmallow. Neon Marshmallow NYC Public Assembly October 14-16 Better than: Bumming about Kim and Thurston. "Yeah, he was pretty much just sitting there, watching his .wav files," somebody noted to a late-arriving friend, recounting a Friday set at this weekend's Neon Marshmallow ... More >>

For 'Luxury Night Out,' Occupy Wall Street Marches in Front of Cameras, Michael Moore

Ari LipsitzProtesters march in the Financial District.​The media was the big story last night at Occupy Wall Street. As the protest entered its second work week, renewed media interest coupled with a surprise appearance by filmmaker Michael Moore allowed the protesters some assurance that ther ... More >>

Party Animal: Peter Gatien's Old New York in Limelight

Paul Krugman's 9/11 Blog Post is Baffling

​Nine years, 23 hours, and 55 minutes after American Airlines Flight 11 flew into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, economist Paul Krugman published a peculiar post to his New York Times blog. He titled it, "The Years of Shame," and it briskly bemoans the fact that 9/11 has become a w ... More >>

Fall Arts: Book Picks

9|11: The Winners

For some people, the terrorist attacks have been a gold mine

Occupation of Wall Street Happening In September; Planning Meeting Tomorrow

​On September 17, Wall Street will be occupied. Not by warring/face-grabbing traders and not by troops sent in to put the volatile area under martial law, but by protesters who are going to "set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street." #OccupyWallStreet has been organiz ... More >>

Chiles & Chocolate Follows Beer Table and Toby's Public House From the Slope to Manhattan

nsnn.com​While Brooklyn and Manhattan's dining exchange program has generally followed the pattern of the latter's restaurateurs colonizing Williamsburg, Park Slope is leading the reverse charge into Manhattan.

Live: Death Cab For Cutie Possess Brooklyn's Heart

Death Cab for Cutie Williamsburg Waterfront Tuesday, August 2 Better than: New York's skyline at dusk. "Everybody just take a second to turn around and check out how beautiful your city is right now," Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard says shortly into his band's set. "Take a picture, take ... More >>

Roberta's Is Coming to the East Village

Roberta'sSay it with pizza.​Well, sort of.

Stanley Patz, Father of Etan, Says Kids Should Have 'Leiby Phones' in Light of Kletzy Case

Etan Patz in 1978​Stanley Patz is the father of 6-year-old Etan, who disappeared from a lower Manhattan street in 1979, making him, arguably, the most well-known missing child in New York City, as well as the first to appear on the side of a milk carton. Until last week brought another missing ... More >>

JR Mural Replaces Kenny Scharf's Piece on the Houston St. Tony Goldman Graffiti Wall

​Today, Kenny Scharf's mural on the corner of Houston and Bowery in lower Manhattan was replaced by "Lakota, North Dakota," a piece from JR's Inside Out Project, which he created with the $100,000 TED prize he received to carry out his wish to "turn the world inside out" with art. Inside Out b ... More >>

Ghostbusters Firehouse Could Close, Along With 19 Others

​The city has released the list of the 20 fire companies they may close as part of an effort to fill a $600 million budget gap, the New York Times reports. The City Council had earlier this week threatened to subpoena the list when the city refused to release it. Now that it's out, we can turn ... More >>

President Obama Visits Ground Zero: A Report from the Scene

C. S. Muncy​It was a brilliantly sunny day in Lower Manhattan when President Obama visited Ground Zero around lunchtime. It wasn't as cloudless as September 11th, 2001, but the similarity was uncanny enough to make many of the reporters waiting on line comment about how alike the two days felt ... More >>

Osama Bin Laden Is Dead: Reports From Ground Zero This Morning [UPDATED]

Photos by Steven Thrasher​It was quiet and foggy at Ground Zero this morning -- the first New York had woken up to knowing Osama Bin Laden was dead -- but not entirely silent. By 5:30 a.m., the impromptu all night party was still going on in pockets, most noticeably in front of the 9/11 Memori ... More >>

The Bluebird Coffee Shop Has Been Taken Over by Café Madeline

Rebecca Marx​We were somewhat saddened to learn a couple of days ago that the Bluebird Coffee Shop had been sold - in addition to losing what is in many ways the consummate neighborhood coffee shop, we now risk losing some of the best doughnuts in Lower Manhattan. But it seems like our loss wi ... More >>

Ray's Candy Store Proves That Social Networking Is Good for Something

Rebecca Marx​A year ago, Ray's Candy Store was in the news for all of the wrong reasons: business was bad, its landlord repeatedly threatened its owner, Ray Alvarez, with eviction, and Alvarez himself spent months fighting to get a green card and benefits. Things finally quieted down a bit, an ... More >>

The 5 Best (Free!) Shows at River to River Festival 2011

​This year's River to River Festival, which runs from June 19 to July 17, marks the 10th time that its mix of free shows takes over Lower Manhattan for the summer. The 2011 bill has a decidedly New York-centric bent, with Patti Smith, Laurie Anderson, Rufus Wainwright, and the New York City Op ... More >>

The Drying Out of Williamsburg?

​Williamsburg is looking a lot more like the East Village these days, and it's not just because half of Lower Manhattan's restaurants are opening outposts there. Like the city's most liquored-up neighborhood, Williamsburg may be facing a liquor license moratorium.

Where Do I Find Oaxacan Cheese?

dishtip.comQuesillio Oaxaca​Jason T. asks: Where in NY can I get authentic Oaxacan cheese? Looking for a queso fundido made with Oaxacan cheese. Thanks in advance. Dear Jason: I concur in your appreciation for Oaxacan cheese. Even though we have few actual Oaxacans in town (and no actual Oax ... More >>

Mamoun's Is Now Serving Falafel In Hoboken

Rebecca Marx​Mamoun's, that stalwart of Lower Manhattan falafel consumption, it taking its chickpeas to New Jersey. Hussam Chater, who owns Mamoun's with his brothers, tells us that the restaurant opened a new outpost yesterday in Hoboken. Located at 502 Washington Street, it offers the same m ... More >>

Floyd Cardoz Returns at Danny Meyer's New North End Grill

offthebroiler.wordpress.comTogether again​Floyd Cardoz, formerly the Executive Chef at now-shuttered Tabla, is back in action and will helm the kitchen at Danny Meyer's newest fine dining restaurant called North End Grill, which will open in Battery Park City towards the end of 2011. Per a rel ... More >>

Original Gem Spa (1972) Closes: Bye Bye, Miss American Egg Cream

​Clip Job: an excerpt every day from the Voice archives. February 24, 1972, Vol. XVII, No. 8 Gem Spa closes: Bye Bye, Miss American Egg Cream By Clark Whelton Gem Spa is closed. The candy store which became a clearing house for the hip-yip-street freak festival in the East Village is now pa ... More >>

Jaguars Will Bring the Las Vegas 'Dining Experience' to Sunset Park

Jaguars, mating with teeth bared.​When we think of Sunset Park, we think of high altitudes, tacos, and superlative banh mí. But we are not the owners of a Las Vegas gentlemen's club called Crazy Horse Too.

Spring Food Preview: Sailing and Scarfing

Where to eat as you take to NYC's bounding main