What Does the City Council Do? Take a Look at Yesterday's Agenda

Ever wonder what the New York City Council is up to, or, more specifically, what exactly it is that they do?
For starters, yesterday they gave clearance for New York’s MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art) to build an 82-story tower on West 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues as part of the museum’s expansion. The 1000-foot-high tower will add 40,000 feet of new gallery space (a 30 percent increase), as well as 150 residential apartments and 100 hotel rooms. It will be on the same block as the current museum building.
What else has the New York City Council been doing with its time?
Well, you should no longer leave your car keys in the ignition while you stroll away to check out a store window--if indeed you had ever contemplated doing such a thing. Not only is it foolish (thieves, people) but it's also dangerous—unattended cars and vans have killed several people as they either rolled backwards or were stolen and then hit someone.
Leaving your car unattended can also be pricey--the fine has been increased from $5 (really? that’s all?) to $250.
Finally (busy day, apparently) the City Council took on advertising rules for businesses selling loan advice to people at the risk of foreclosure—the measure now requires print ads to disclose state regulations that govern the industry. (And they didn’t before?)
So ask not what your City Council does, New York—it passes random measures on just about anything.

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin: It's Wild Things Week in New York

Stop gnashing your terrible teeth--the wait is almost over, and the filmed version of what is perhaps the most iconic children’s picture book of all time opens this Friday, October 16. In preparation for the Spike Jonze-directed version of Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” New York is going a little wild itself with a "Where the Wild Things Are” week to celebrate Max and his nighttime adventures.
Events are happening all over the city—museums in particular are creating a rumpus. You can start off with a look at Sendak’s original artwork at the Morgan Library and Museum, on view through November 1. The exhibition includes early drafts of the book, as well as a preliminary sketch for the cover. (225 Madison Avenue; 212 685-0008).
Over at MOMA, you can see “Spike Jonze: The First 80 Years,” the first retrospective of the director’s career. The series runs through October 18, and includes a look at his earlier work (skateboard videos—who knew?) as well as films like ”Being John Malkovich.” (11 w. 53rd Street. 212 708-9400).
Oh, right—kids like the book, too. So take them to the Children’s Museum of the Arts, where they can take a stop-motion animation workshop and bring wild things to life (182 Lafayette Street; 212-274-1776).
Finally, you can get into the action—literally—with the Kodak photo booth, which allows families to superimpose themselves into scenes with the Wild Things. Booths are located at The New York Public Library’s Children's Center (42nd Street and Fifth Avenue; 212-621-0208) on Oct. 14 and 17; and at the Official NYC Information Center (810 7th Avenue; 212 484-1222) through October 16.
And when you get home, if you’re very lucky, your supper will still be hot.

Tim Burton Career Retrospective Coming To MoMa This Fall

Can’t wait for next year’s Alice in Wonderland, Hollywood cult film director Tim Burton’s cinematic take on the novel by Lewis Carroll? The Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) in New York City will have a major career retrospective on Burton that should satisfy the appetite, on display from November 22, 2009, to April 26, 2010.
Burton is known as the legendary director and creative mastermind behind such classics as Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The exhibit of all things Burton will consist of a film series, early childhood and recent drawings, and storyboards created during the production of his famous movies. Over 700 of his distinct drawings, paintings, photographs, moving-image works, costumes, props, and other personal items will be on display. Burton is not only a director, but a producer, writer, concept artist for live-action and animated films, fiction writer, photographer and illustrator, with success spanning his 27-year career. Burton’s work often deals with cynicism, sentiment, the intriguingly grotesque, humor, and the themes of adulthood and adolescence.
This exhibition at MoMa coincides with the publishing of The Art of Tim Burton, a limited edition hard cover book featuring over 1,000 illustrations on 430 pages. Entry to the Tim Burton career retrospective is included with admission to MoMa. Museum tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for seniors, $12 for full-time students with I.D., and free for persons under 16.