From Icy Hearts to Warm Ones, It's a New York Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Whether you revel in this holiday, choose to ignore it, or haven't even checked your calendar, New York certainly offers its share of events, from the romantic to the just plain…odd.
For starters, take a trip to Times Square (soon) where a 7,000-pound ice sculpture in the shape of a heart is slowly melting its way into viewers' hearts--and onto the ground.
Designed by Robert and Granger Moorhead, two architects who also happen to be brothers, the sculpture was actually created to melt away in what they call a celebration of its temporary nature.
A commentary on love? Relationships? A way to while away the time? Who knows?
The 10-foot-tall heart, which was finished on Friday, is made of blocks of ice and is designed to act like a kaleidoscope, magnifying and refracting the lights of Times Square.
Over at the Empire State Building, the lights are red, pink and white in honor of the holiday, and 14 couples were married there yesterday, courtesy of wedding website theknot.com. (A heads up: Tomorrow the lights switch to red, white and blue in honor of President’s Day.) One couple was married at the 86th floor Observatory, while the others got hitched on the 61st floor.
More than 200 couples have been married in the building, which has been open for weddings since 1994. This is the only time of year that the building allows these ceremonies to take place.
So celebrate as you like-in New York, Valentine's Day can be whatever you want.

Yes, Chairs in Times Square Will Be a Permanent State

Love the Pedestrian Mall in New York’s Times Square? Hate it? Completely indifferent to its presence? Well, whatever your feelings, it’s here to stay—at least for the foreseeable future.
An eight-month trial called Greenlight closed 42nd to 47th Streets to traffic. The trial was undertaken to see if getting rid of the three-way intersection where Broadway meets Seventh Avenue would speed up traffic.
Some business, drivers and even pedestrians preferred the old set-up, while many people hailed the plaza and the chance to hang out, read a book, and have lunch, especially during the warmer months.
Mayor Bloomberg announced this past Thursday at a news conference that traffic in the area is down as result of the changes; in addition, he claims that traffic speed increased by approximately seven percent.
(Many people disagree, and say that the function of the plaza is merely to increase tourism to the area, and that traffic flow has not been helped at all. A number of people wander over to see the set-up out of curiosity, and neighborhood restaurants have benefited by being able to send the overflow of customers to the additional outdoor seating.)
Safety conditions also improved, Mayor Bloomberg added, and public response, overall, appears to be favorable; tourists, New Yorkers and businesses were all polled for their reaction.
Now that the plaza is moving into more permanent residency, plans to put in new paving and redesign the space are afoot.

From the Titanic To Tut, Where Else But Times Square?

Walking through anything in New York City’s Times Square--whether the Sephora or Toys R Us Stores; the line at TKTS or the pedestrian mall--has a larger-than-life, slightly carnival-ish, sideshow feel.
So the Discovery Times Square Exposition on West 44th street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue; 866-987-9692) fits right in.
The exhibits there are larger, splashier and somehow more brazen than anything you’d find at another New York museum. Witness “Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition,” which runs through Feb. 28. Experience the ship’s maiden voyage! Take on the identity of a Titanic passenger! (Without the unfortunate end result.)
No, you won’t be getting that at the Guggenheim. You can also experience a recreation of the ship’s grand staircase and, to be fair, actually see artifacts from the ship (hence the name.) The objects recovered from the ocean floor include china, jewelry, clothing and documents.
While you’re there, you can also check out “Leonardo Da Vinci’s Workshop,” running through March 14. Gaze at full-scale models of some of his inventions, such as a self-propelled cart and a robot knight (chivalrous and high-tech.) Participate in a family workshop (there’s one today at 1 PM) and come up with your own invention. Or simply play with the touch screens that allow visitors to transform sketches into 3D models.
Coming in April: “King Tut: Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.” It opens on April 23. Ten galleries will showcase 130 artifacts, including some of the possessions from Tut’s tomb.
Bigger, larger-than-life, more over-the-top? Where else but Times Square?

Turn in a Car Seat, Ride a Ferris Wheel at New York's Toys R Us

Out with the old, in with the new: In New York City as well as across the country, Toys R Us is spearheading an initiative so parents and caregivers can trade in potentially unsafe, old, and used baby products as part of “The Great Trade In” event. Items that can be traded in include used car seats, strollers, play yards, high chairs, toddler beds, and cribs. (Many of these items are old and still in circulation, but should not actually be used or passed on to someone else.)
In exchange for turning in these products, consumers will receive a 25 percent savings on certain new baby items.
The program began yesterday, and continues through Feb. 20.
During the first trade-in event, in Sept. 2009, tens of thousands of items were brought in; used car seats were the number one item brought to stores--as well as the number one item purchased.
In New York, the place to head, of course, is the Toys R Us in Times Square. (1514 Broadway at 44th Street; 1-800-TOYSRUS). In addition to ridding yourself of those baby products that have been sitting in the attic, kids can partake of the giant Ferris wheel; walk-in Barbie Dream house; and the "R Zone," a 5500-square megalopolis of the newest in electronic games, DVDs, and other tech gizmos. Customers can play on giant plasma screens (and those over 30 are guaranteed to walk out with unsteady balance and buzzing in your ears, not to mention your brains, so be forewarned.)
Oh yes, watch out for the 5-ton, 20-foot-high, 34-foot long animatronic dinosaur inspired by “Jurassic Park.”
If you weren’t unsteady on your feet after the Ferris Wheel and the game room, you will be after an encounter with him.

Times Square Adds Criminals to its List of Billboards

If you go to New York’s Times Square in part to gaze at the never-ending display of oversized billboards featuring lingerie ads, celebrities gleaming down at you, and skinny sullen teenagers hawking perfume, you’re in for something different.
Starting today, the FBI will display an enormous billboard in Times Square near the TKTS Booth on 47th Street. The digital board will display a rotating list of New York fugitives as well as the number of an FBI tips hotline. Images of missing children will also be displayed. In addition, the board will take advantage of the number of international tourists by featuring information about criminals from abroad.
The billboard is being provided free of charge by advertiser Clear Channel Outdoor.
The nationwide project was launched in December of 2007. It’s now active in 20 cities, and features more than 1,000 billboards across the country, including many on major highways.
Believe it or not, at least 14 criminals have been apprehended through the use of the billboards, including those whose crimes have included money laundering, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
It’s hoped that the sheer number of people who pass through the Time Square spot, one of the most crowded corners in the city, will lead to some good tips.
In Albuquerque, NM, a mother and son were driving by a billboard when the mother noticed that the image on the board looked like her son.
It was. She took him into the local police station.

Stand Up and Be Counted: The 2010 Census Kicks Off

Times Square is having its moment: First New Year’s Eve, now the Census Bureau has kicked off its national tour there.
The Census Bureau revved up its “Census Portrait of America Road Tour” in New York City’s Times Square this week, starting the trip across the country to remind people to fill out their census forms--and mail them in. A 46-foot trailer and 12 vans will traverse the USA in the coming months. The trailer is nicknamed “Mail It Back” (catchy..yes? no?) and offers an interactive representation of the census form. The smaller vans offer technology that allows participants to track the tour online as it happens. Updates will be available on social media postings through outlets like Twitter and Facebook.
Well, it beats doing the laundry.
The population count takes place once a decade, and this tour will be part of the largest civic outreach program in US history. It will stop at more than 800 events during the next four months, including the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four, as well as smaller venues like local parades.
The 10-question forms (one of the shortest ever) will arrive in your mailboxes March 15-17; they're supposed to be an account of everyone living in the United Sates. Results are used to reapportion congressional seats and decide how more than $400 billion a year in federal funding is distributed to local and state governments.
So stand up and be counted, New York!

Yet Another Top Ten List for 2010, New-York Style

Happy 2010! Whether you’re recovering from last night’s revelries, wondering if you can forget that second resolution, or hopping on the treadmill to keep your first one, the year has that unused feeing that signifies that anything is possible.
And since it’s the time of top ten lists, we hereby offer 10 ten great things you should see, do, or remember about New York this upcoming year, in no particular order:
1. How many boroughs except Manhattan and maybe Brooklyn have you actually been to? Uh huh, we thought so. Go discover the amazing array of foods in Queens or the shoreline in Staten Island.
2. If you only go to the big-name museums in the city, check out one of the smaller ones, like the Rubin or The Jewish Museum.
3. Rent a rowboat in Central Park. (When it’s warmer.)
4. Take a backstage tour: Radio City; Madison Square Garden--you’ll be amazed at the choices.
5. Eat something you’ve never eaten, whether from a restaurant in Chinatown or a sushi restaurant in midtown.
6. Find somewhere in the city and take a hike. We mean that literally.
7. Go to one of the Botanical Gardens in the spring (Bronx; Brooklyn) and see either the cherry blossoms or the roses.
8. Check out Times Square on a Wednesday afternoon when the matinees let out and all the lights are coming on and simply drink it all in.
9. Trace your history: Visit Ellis Island and discover your family tree.
10. Open a guidebook, close your eyes, point at random, and go do whatever you pick.

This is New York after all. If you can’t be adventurous here, then there’s really no point at all.
Happy 2010!

Revelers, This is Your Night: It's Finally New Year's Eve

Those of you who enjoy late-night reveling, close proximity to millions of other people, and staying up really, really late in the freezing cold will be in your element tonight--it’s New Year’s Eve, and the biggest party in town is in New York City’s Times Square.
Streets start getting roped off as early as 2:00 pm, and partiers often start gathering in the late afternoon to ensure a prime spot.
Festivities continue throughout the evening, with musical performances, opening ceremonies at 6:00 pm, and handouts of hats and balloons given out to revelers starting a little after 7:00 pm. Performers and celebrity guests this year include Jennifer Lopez, Daughtry, Taddy Porter, and Anderson Cooper. (Now there’s an eclectic mix).
At 11:59 pm Mayor Bloomberg and a special guest will push the button that signifies the dropping of the Waterford crystal ball. This year, the ball has been redesigned to include 300 Waterford crystal triangles woven into a Celtic knot--they are etched with ribbons, angel wings and flames to indicate the theme "Let There Be Courage." The new lights, for those of you on green-watch, replace halogen bulbs, last three times longer, and use about the same amount of energy as it take to light up two regular ovens.
At midnight, following the dramatic countdown, confetti is released, shouting and kissing of your neighbor ensues, and we welcome 2010. More than 1 ton of confetti will be dropped.
And for those of you who were wondering, the ball-drop tradition goes back to 1907, and the ball tonight will drop 70 feet in 60 seconds. It weighs almost 12,000 pounds.
Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve in New York City: The Countdown

As preparations for the festivities in New York's Times Square get underway for New Year’s Eve, it’s time to start some planning of your own—especially if you plan to join the hordes ringing in the New Year in the heart of New York City.
First off, why not put your resolutions to paper (you do have resolutions, right?)--and add to the confetti that will rain down in Times Square at the same time. Write down a resolution, a hope, a wish, whatever you like--on a piece of confetti--and add it to the Wishing Wall at the Times Square Information Center (7th Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets.) All the confetti will be gathered on Thursday to add to the growing pile of midnight-ready pieces of paper. (You can also submit it online at timessquarenyc.org; it will be printed out and added to the pile. Some New Year’s wishes from last year can be viewed on line.)
While you’re at it, save on that bottle of champagne by checking out the new “Clink Clink” iphone app. Waterford helped design this virtual celebration, which lets two people toast in the New Year with pictures of Waterford champagne flutes and cocktail glasses on the screens. (No alcohol is allowed in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, so you can get your toast in--and have a clear head when you leave as well.)
So get ready--and start counting down to the countdown!

That Drawer Full of Useless Receipts? Today's the Day to Say Goodbye

That tax return you’d rather not look at again? Get rid of it. The receipt for the engagement ring your former boyfriend returned? Chuck it out. Your to-do list from the beginning of last year? Toss it away. Today at noon, New Yorkers have the chance to bid good riddance to paper memories they’d rather see relegated to the trash. It’s “Good Riddance Day,” on 46th Street and Broadway, in Duffy Square.
New Yorkers can shed themselves of everything they'd rather never see again with an industrial shredder and a dumpster. Got something other than paper? For harder-to-destroy items, a sledgehammer is available. (Is this safe??) Caution: It’s intended for things like electronic devices that got the better of you. (Goodbye, Palm Pilot...)
If unloading your trash isn’t enough of an incentive, the Times Square Alliance is giving out a $250 prize for the most creative memory. Participants can write down their worst memories on a piece of stationery, which will be provided. (You can also submit online, at timessquarenyc.org). Past creative entries included all the unmatched socks in someone’s drawer (winner of the creativity award); as well as good riddance to being single (this person was getting married.)
The first 100 participants will receive a special gift (their own paper shredder, perhaps?).
Organizers caution that the event is not meant to be used as a means of dumping all your trash. It’s about bad memories, people, not getting rid of the contents of your trash can.
So grab that nasty memo from your boss and go!

Feeling Green? So is Times Square This New Year's Eve

New Year’s Eve in New York City has gone green.
This year, the numbers in the giant “2010” sign in Times Square will be lit by light-emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) instead of halogen bulbs. The one and the zero for the sign arrived by pedicab--also green, thank you very much--this past week.
The new bulbs are nine watts instead of 40 watts, as they were in the past; they will use about 80 percent less energy.
The 2010 sign is on display at the Duracell Smart Power Lab for one week, through next Wednesday, December 23. (It’s at 1540 Broadway, in Times Square; check out their website, powerlab.com, for more information.) Visitors can have a wow-look-at-that experience while they’re there; they can push pedals that will create energy that’s converted to battery power that will light the numbers as the ball drops. (Yes, it sounds like a nursery rhyme.) The lab is open Sunday-Wednesday from 10 am to 9 pm; and Thursday-Saturday, from 10 am to 11 pm, with special hours on holidays, so be sure to check.
Got all that? What it means is that the energy created by people pedaling a series of “Rovers” will be stored in the batteries to power the sign--approximately 32,000-watt hours are needed.
When you’re done, you can have your picture taken with a replica of the 2010 numbers. The real numbers will be placed atop the ball at One Times Square to await the massive New Year’s Eve celebration.
Considering the rush in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, this may be a better alternative than waiting in the cold for hours--and you can go green at the same time.

Give Us Some Lip, and Pucker Up for the Troops

Here’s a new spin on Veteran’s Day in New York City: Choose a lipstick, pucker up, and kiss a postcard.
Well, there’s more to it than that: Cosmopolitan Magazine and Maybelline New York have teamed up with the USO for “Kisses for the Troops,” a program designed to deliver “kisses” to troops serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Here’s how it works: The “Cosmo Kisses for the Troops” van will be roaming around the city today with a military escort and uniformed personnel. Those New Yorkers who are lip-ready and willing to participate will be offered a choice of Maybelline lipsticks with which to smack a postcard; the cards will be delivered to the troops in time for New Year’s Eve.
In addition, Cosmo and Maybelline will donate one dollar for each kiss to the USO.
But wait--there’s more! All kisses logged in between 7 am and 7 pm today will count towards setting a new Guinness World record for most lip prints collected in 12 hours. (Have many people tried to set that one??)
Want to get in on the action? The van will be found at various points across the city today, including Times Square (8:30-10:30 am); Union Square (11:00-1:00 PM); NYU, near West 8th Street and 6th Avenue (3:30-5:30 PM); and the Meat Packing District (6:00-7:00 PM). Call (212) 649-2577 for more information—and pucker up for Veteran’s Day!

Take A Self-Guided Tour Of Illuminated NYC Structures

A new take on the usual New York City architectural tour has come along. There are apparently a surprising amount of visitors and locals who are interested in seeing the city through LEDs, mercury vapor lamps and the prism of gels, as odd as that sounds.
Three months ago, a self-guided tour map of New York City lighting designs was published by the Illuminating Engineering Society of New York in conjunction with the Designers Lighting Forum of New York. The self-guided maps have been so popular that only 1,500 of the original 20,000 are left in the office of the Illuminating Engineering Society. Much of the $25,000 spent on the project was provided by sponsors, and the society is currently considering a second printing.
The large foldout map leads people to different areas of New York City. The tour highlights the ethereal lighting of buildings and structures, along with the lighting designers and firms associated with each. Some examples that can be viewed at nighttime are the Alexander Hamilton Customs House, the Brooklyn Central Library, the TKTS kiosk in Times Square, and of course the illuminated glass Apple Store at Fifth Avenue. Much of the tour’s purpose is to bring attention to the overlooked lighting design industry that places a crucial part in how we view structures. Attention to lighting has also become more relevant as buildings look to become more energy efficient. Copies of the map can be purchased online at www.iesnyc.org/CityLights.aspx

Candlewood Suites Arrives In NYC As First Midscale Extended-Stay Hotel

The national Candlewood Suites chain made its New York City debut for the first time ever on July 17 with the opening of Candlewood Suites Hotel at Times Square. This hotel has garnered the title of being the city’s first midscale extended-stay hotel, providing guests with the experience of staying in a studio apartment space for a midscale price.
The new Candlewood Suites is located near Times Square at 339 West 39th Street, a perfect destination for business and leisure travelers. With nearly 300 branded hotels in New York City, this is the first unique hotel of its kind to open as a midscale extended-stay hotel, offering a practical alternative.
The 188 guestrooms are all studio suites with large rooms and full kitchens with a full-size refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and microwave, and stocked with all the kitchen appliances one needs to live as if they were enjoying the comforts of home, such as pots, pans, plates and so forth. There is also a large workspace with desk, a recliner and deluxe bedding. Uniquely, though the rooms resemble studio apartments, the hotel still has hotel amenities like a 24-hour fitness center, onsite laundry facilities, and high-speed Internet access. Guests can also visit the Lending Library where free movies and music are available, and the Candlewood Cupboard in the lobby for food and small items.

Naked Cowboy Throws His 10-gallon Hat In The Ring For Mayoral Run

As New York City’s richest resident Mayor Michael Bloomberg attempts to run for his third term, Times Square’s famous busker and tourist fixture Naked Cowboy has offered himself as a write-in candidate against Bloomberg for the office of New York City mayor. Known for singing and strumming his guitar in nothing but a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and tighty-whities in rain, snow or shine, Naked Cowboy, a.k.a. Robert Burck, 38, officially announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City on July 22.
Burck held a press conference in Times Square where a large crowd of media gathered. He kept things brief with plenty of wordplay, promising to “do more with less” for New York City residents. Burck’s platform includes cutting wasteful spending, building the city’s economy and tourism, supporting small businesses, and greening city buildings. If elected November 3, Burck said he would remain accessible and carry on this usual routine in Times Square.
Though he may seem not seem like a serious choice, Burck cited Arnold Schwarzenegger as having not been elected governor of California for his vast political background, but rather because he “exuded the spirit of the community of which he represents.”
Burck has a political science degree from the University of Cincinnati, several self-published motivational books, a country music album, and is an ordained minister, eager to build a Times Square chapel marrying straight and gay couples in an effort to rival Las Vegas’ wedding business.

Pedestrian Mall Opens in Times Square and Herald Square

Seven blocks along Broadway in Times Square and Herald Square in New York City have been closed to vehicular traffic to relieve traffic jams, reduce pollution, and allow pedestrians the pleasure of enjoying the city’s center without worrying about being hit by a taxi. West 47th Street to 42nd Street in Times Square and West 35th Street to 33rd Street in Herald Square are the blocks along Broadway where this has taken place.
The new pedestrian promenade took effect on May 24, 2009 as part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to reduce Midtown congestion. The remainder of the year will serve as a trial, and the experiment could become permanent if all goes smooth and the city benefits.
The opening of the car-free pedestrian area has eased the Times Square chaos and created breathing room in the usually unbearably crowded Times Square. People who work in the area have a new place to spend their lunch break and New Yorkers who normally avoid Times Square are venturing in to join tourists.
The city has so far provided lawn chairs for lounging and tables and chairs, but not much else, as it is an ongoing development. Musicians and performers have also been hired by the city to attract afternoon crowds, and the Naked Cowboy is out in full force.
While the pedestrian mall undoubtedly improves the congestion of crowded streets and sidewalks, the big question yet to be answered is whether this will help or hurt Times Square and Herald Square businesses.