Speak Softly, and Point Out Those Sights in a Whisper

What did she just say? Carrie Bradshaw did what over there? Who ate at that Italian restaurant?
If you’re planning on hopping aboard a New York City sightseeing bus for a tour, questions like that may become more commonplace in the future. The City Council is expected to vote into law today a new rule banning open-air tour bus guides from conversing with the tourists aboard with a loudspeaker. City councilwoman Gale Brewster, who represents part of the West Village, sponsored the bill, saying that the noise from the loudspeakers is so loud it can be heard inside buildings.
Another supporter points out that the bus engines also contribute a huge amount of noise. Residents from a number of (largely upscale) neighborhoods have protested the noise from the buses for quite a while, saying that if you live on or near a bus route, the noise can be heard no matter what floor you live on. The noise also affects those who live near historic districts that are often pointed out on bus tours. Areas such as SoHo and the Village are among those affected.
The tour bus companies, not surprisingly, are not too happy about the proposed law; some officials estimate that it will cost between three and five million dollars to install a new system in which riders would listen through headphones to the guides.
New York has 250 licensed tour buses, about 150 of which have tops that are open in warm weather.
Mayor Mike Bloomberg is expected to sign the bill into law; if it passes, buses will have several years in which to comply.

Want to Film in New York? You May Have to Pay a Fee

Film and TV crews are a common sight in New York City, as a slew of TV shows, commercials, and movies are regularly shot all across the five boroughs.
Until now, however, the right to film here has largely been free.
That’s right--access to city-owned parks, streets and other locales have been there for the taking to TV and movie producers and even students making independent films or music videos.
Budget cuts, however, are forcing the city to come up with new ways to make up the lost revenue, and film permits may now be subject to a $300 fee.
If the fee is approved, TV producers would have to pay the amount once per season, while filmmakers would pay the fee once for the duration of shooting--no matter if it’s an NYU production or the sequel to a major zillion-dollar blockbuster.
While the fee may seem surprisingly low, it’s meant to make it easier for smaller producers and directors to be able to come up with the money and not look elsewhere to film.
Some exceptions would apply: Films using hand-held cameras or taking up a tiny amount of space wouldn’t have to pay the fee, and producers can apply for an exemption based on financial hardship.
The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting had to cut $155,000 from its $2 million budget this year. Most city agencies were ordered last month to cut 7.2 percent of their budgets
TV Shows like “Gossip Girl” and big-budget films such as “Sex and The City” regularly film in New York.

Shut Off a Light, Save the Planet: It's Earth Day

OK, New York: Flick off those lights, turn off that faucet, pick up that litter. Yes, you should do that every day, but today is Earth Day (the 40th anniversary, no less) so it’s time to take stock of your impact on the planet.
For starters, you can head over to Grand Central Station (42nd Steeet and Park Avenue). Two days of Earth Day events start tomorrow: The Earth Fair (Friday; 12-7 pm; Saturday; 11-5 pm) celebrates with music, art, “green” vendors and more. But you don't have to wait until then: Earth show images are being projected onto two of the north columns of the concourse, and will run 10 hours a day.
In New York’s Central Park, free Earth Day events are happening all day. Check out the Chess & Checkers House (mid-Park at 64th Street); where you can participate in eco-friendly crafts from 2-4 PM. (Call 212 794-4064.)
You can also view an exhibit called “Under the Canopy: Caring for Central Park’s Trees” at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street and Lenox Avenue); learn about the Park’s 24,000 trees. (Go to centralparknyc.org for more information on Earth Day events.)
Stores around the city are also getting involved: you can visit a green pop-up shop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (625 8th Avenue) through May 1; or, for a larger-scale event, stop by Times Square between 11am and 2 pm for a public celebration today
FYI, Earth Day began in April, 1970 as a way to raise awareness about such environmental problems as pollution and ozone depletion.
Forty years later, everyone’s involvement is no less important.
Tomorrow: How museums and arts organizations around the city are getting involved in preserving the planet.

Gun Control Laws Use Haunting Images to Make Their Point

Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a gun control organization partly overseen by New York's Mayor Mike Bloomberg, is using footage from the Columbine High School shootings to get their point across. The organization counts more than 500 mayors from across the country as part of their group, which seeks to prevent the purchase and dissemination of illegally obtained guns by criminals. Their aim is to develop laws, practices, and policies that will allow Americans to own guns, but prevent criminals from possessing them illegally. Mayors who belong to the group come from a diverse range of locations , including Orlando, Florida; Portsmouth, VA; St. Paul, MN; and Vista, CA.
More than $250,000 will be spent on ads to air on cable TV stations. The ads, which feature video shot by surveillance cameras at Columbine High School, started running yesterday in states including Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts and Virginia, in order to reach the senators of those states.
The ads make the point that four of the guns used in those horrific shootings were purchased at gun shows, where background checks are not required when purchasing a firearm.
Last year, more than $1.5 million was spent by New York City on detectives who went undercover at gun shows and bought weapons. The detectives even told the sellers that they wouldn’t pass a background check.
Congress has not been able to push through laws requiring background checks for gun purchasers. A spokesman for the National Rifle Association (NRA) said that background checks at gun shows would take too long, and also hamper the rights of gun owners who purchased their weapons legally.

Take Out Their Own Garbage? As a Strike Looms, New Yorkers May Have to

A million New Yorkers may soon be opening their own building doors, taking out their own garbage, doing their own repairs, and hailing their own cabs, as 30,000 workers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island prepare to go on strike. The contracts for the workers at 3,200 apartment buildings across the city expire on Wednesdays; workers include doormen, concierges, porters, and handymen.
The workers, who largely serve upscale buildings, are members of 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union. They have voted to walk off the job if contract negotiations reach an impasse.
Meetings were held across the city this past week, as they discussed both picket line rules and legal issues.
Building owners say they have been affected by the recession, and are asking that the workers reduce the number of sick days from 10 to five, and also pay for 10 percent of family health insurance. Eliminating pensions for new employees is also under consideration, as is denying new workers full pay for five years. The Realty Advisory Board, which represents the building owners, says that costs are going up and income is going down, with real estate taxes rising, rents being cut, and apartments losing value.
Workers say that their current salaries are not enough to cover the costs of raising a family in the city. In addition, they worry that older workers have a strong chance of being laid off, since hiring new ones would ultimately cost less.
Contract negotiations are taking place at the Sheraton Hotel in midtown Manhattan.
Stay tuned—and get ready to pick up your own dry cleaning…

Governors Island Finally Has a Plan--and College There May be an Option

New York’s Governor David Paterson and New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a plan yesterday for the future of Governors Island, the former military base that sits a half mile off the edge of lower Manhattan. It served first as an army base, and later, as a base for the Coast Guard. Negotiations over the future of the island went on for more than a year.
A 2.2 mile promenade will be developed along the waterfront, and 87 acres will be preserved as open space. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012. Other possible additions include a high school, some commercial areas, and a satellite campus of New York University. Other tenants are also being sought.
Mayor Bloomberg will appoint nine of the Board's 13 new members, and the redevelopment is seen as a huge coup for his administration--and his legacy.
Under the transfer agreement a casino is not an option.
In 2003, most of the island was given to New York State; New York City will be primarily responsible for developing the island. A battle for control of the island has been waged for some time.
The 22-acre Governors Island National Monument is managed by the National Park Service.
The island can be accessed by a free ferry service and is open to the public during the summer and early fall. It opens in June for the season.
Last year, more than 275,000 visitors took the ferry to Governors Island, to attend concerts and festivals, visit the monument, which includes two historic forts--or simply hang out and admire the views.
The redevelopment is expected to cost $200 million.

Bee Season: Welcome the Bees and Their Hives Back to New York

Get your buzz on: Bees are making a re-entry into New York City.
Last week, the Board of Health in New York voted to once again make beekeeping legal in the city. (Whoo hoo! And for the record, who knew it wasn’t?)
Why, you may ask, were the bees not previously free to show their stripes in our fair city? Well, laws defined honeybees as--are you ready? Dangerous wild animals.
Yes, bees and rampaging grizzles, joining forces once again.
The fine for operating a hive in the city was as much as $2,000. Despite it, many beekeepers (and, don't tell, one or two restaurants) still raised bees here. (Estimates put the number of beekeepers in New York at about 600, but it’s hard to really know.)
Cities including Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago already allow hives in their cities.
Now, beekeepers will have to register with the city, but they will not have to be licensed.
The new ruling is good news not just for the beekeepers, but also for the bees: Since 2006, a largely unidentified problem has been destroying bee colonies in North America. This collapse has caused a chain reaction that has affected honey production; and, in turn, foods that are made or sweetened with honey.
And, oh yes, if beekeeping has now piqued your interest and you’re looking for the names of famous beekeepers, look no further than the White House: The Obamas have a colony in the organic garden there.

For a New Career in Film, New York's the Place to Be

Ever thought about a career in film? Wondering what exactly a rigger does on a film set? Well, now may be your chance to find out.
A program is being launched by Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s administration to help train women, minorities, and New Yorkers who are struggling job-wise to train for jobs in New York’s film and TV production industry.
The training will include teaching hands-on skills like rigging (whatever that may be) and dolly operation. (In other words; you won’t be learning how to be Sandra Bullock’s stand-in, but you will be learning what all that cool equipment does.) Teachers are members of the International Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees. It also includes a placement service for mid-level film jobs in those areas.
The first classes launch this spring, and will have about 24 participants. A recruitment event is also being held later this spring, sponsored by the city and held at the New York City College of Technology.
New York is home to a thriving TV and film industry. TV shows from “Sesame Street” to "Ugly Betty” and "Gossip Girl” have filmed (and continue to film) here, while endless movies use the city as a locale, including such recent entries as the “Sex and the City” movies (the latest opens in May) and “Percy Jackson and the Last Olympians: The Lightning Thief.”
While many film and TV shows now shoot in other cities as stand-ins for New York, we know that there's nothing like the real thing.

Where's Conan? At the Home of the Rockettes, Thank You Very Much

Do you miss Conan and his witty banter (O’Brien, that is)? Wondering what he’s been up to since his unfortunate banishment from late-night TV? Well, New York, despair no more—Conan is headed your way.
The (former) TV funnyman announced yesterday that he is embarking on a two-month, 30-city road show tour, featuring comedy and live music. He’ll be at Radio City Music Hall this June 1 and 2. The show will include his sidekick, Andy Richter, as well as the former “Tonight Show” band. If you were wondering if O’Brien has lost his edge, his tour will be starting in...Eugene, Oregon. Yup, you read that right. The tour will cover 20 states and two Canadian provinces, and will primarily include cities and college towns.
O'Brien, for those of you who have stopped reading AOL headlines, left his post as host of “The Tonight Show” in January, when he was unceremoniously usurped by Jay Leno. Leno, of course, had hosted a daily 10 pm show with notoriously low ratings. He was given the coveted night-night slot--leaving O’Brien essentially nowhere to go on television.
As part of his contract, O’Brien is prohibited from returning to the small screen until September 1 of this year.
O’Brien has been in the news a fair amount lately--he recently announced that he would follow a randomly chosen woman on Twitter.
O’Brien held the coveted 11:35 PM TV time slot starting in May 2009. Does he harbor hard feelings towards the whole fiasco and his exodus from TV?
Well, his tour is called the “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on television” tour--so you decide.

Barbie Has a New Career, Lego Comes Out to Play at Toy Fair

Technically Barbie may be in her dotage, but this year she also has a new career as a TV news anchor (her 125th--she's fickle, that girl.) She comes, of course, with the all-important desk and microphone.
The word comes from New York’s Toy Fair, which opened yesterday and runs through Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the Javits Center.
While the general public doesn’t have access to the show, many of the toys will become available by the end of the year. The event showcases the toys that are destined to be under the tree next Christmas, and presages the bestsellers throughout the year.
From Lego we’ll see new Duplo building blocks aimed at younger kids, as well as new Mindstorm robots.
And a new updated version of Chinese checkers is being released by toy company Pressman (what can they possibly do to it??). With the economy the way it is, more families are rediscovering game night, so their timing is canny.
More than 1,100 exhibiting toy manufacturers, distributors and agents set up shop at the event, which feeds into the $75 billion toy industry; almost 32,000 people from almost 100 countries are expected to attend. It’s the largest international toy trade show in the western hemisphere.
Programs throughout the week include such events as the "Toy Trends Tea”; a session on environmentalism and toys; and a guide to exporting.
So even if you can’t be there, the buzz will start soon--so avoid the hassle, parents, and pick up the toys as soon as they hit the market, rather than waiting furtively on line next Christmas Eve.

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.

In New York, Even Scaffolding Can Get a Makeover

Walking under an ugly piece of scaffolding, or “sidewalk shed,” is as much a part of many New Yorkers' days as the morning subway ride or the line at the bank. But now, in an effort to make those dark, creepy, ramshackle enclosures less, well, dark, creepy and ramshackle, a new design is set to be unveiled.
The sheds are designed, ostensibly, to protect walkers from being hit by runaway debris while a building is being renovated or repaired. They’re found on both residential and commercial properties.
An international design competition was held to determine a new design: The winner was Young-Hwan Choi, a first-year architecture student at the University of Pennsylvania.
The design, entitled “Urban Umbrella,” will have customizable, transparent roofs. A UV-stabilized film could be used for the application of either different colors or a variety of art work; in other words, the roofs would become the basis for public art projects.
Mayor Bloomberg issued a statement saying that although the city changes, the sheds themselves have not. (Wouldn’t faster, more efficient work also be a solution, to get rid of the sheds faster? But we digress.)
A prototype should be up this summer. Supposedly more than 6000 sheds exist in New York City--this works out to more than one million linear feet. (You’re welcome for doing the math.)
So keep your eyes open—but your head covered--when you approach a sidewalk shed in upcoming months.

A New York Novel for Children Takes the Newbery Award

A novel set in New York, and written by an author who was born in the city and resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, has won the Newbery Award, the most prestigious award given for children’s literature.
The announcement was made Monday that the John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature was given to Rebecca Stead for “When You Reach Me.” The novel takes place in 1979, on the Upper West Side, and focuses on the story of Miranda, a sixth-grade girl whose best friend stops taking to her; she also starts receiving notes telling her that it’s up to her to figure out how to prevent a tragic event from happening in the future.
The novel deals with issues of time travel, class, and friendship; has a rich, complicated structure; and has spent eight weeks on "The New York Times" best-seller list for children's chapter books. The classic children’s book “A Wrinkle in Time,” which itself won the Newbery Award in 1963, also plays a vital part in the novel.
The neighborhood in the book resembles the one in which Ms. Stead grew up, she has said, and the lives of the characters are modeled on her own experience growing up in the city. The apartment in the story was inspired by her mother’s apartment; the school was patterned after the one she attended on New York’s west side.
In fact, Manhattan becomes as much a character in the novel as any of the characters themselves.
So congratulations to Rebecca Stead--and to New York for being such a great role model.

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.

Project Runway Struts its Stuff in New York Again

Like many transplants, “Project Runway” just couldn’t make it away from the Big Apple, so for its seventh season, it has returned to New York City. The show kicks off its new season tonight on Lifetime TV. Yesterday was declared “Project Runway Day” in New York, in celebration of the show’s return, and Fashion Avenue was renamed “Project Runway Avenue.” (Don’t streets in the city have real names any more?) The day highlighted the show’s contribution to fashion in New York--the retail industry provides jobs for more than 175,000 people.
The show foundered in LA, losing viewers as well as a real sense of drama and purpose.
Regulars Heidi Klum (supermodel et al), Tim Gunn (snarky-but-kind mentor), Nina Garcia (fashion director for “Marie Claire” Magazine) and Michael Kors (uber-successful designer) will be back this season, and Nicole Ritchie, celebrity-for-no-real-reason, will be showing up as the first celebrity guest judge--just, gasp, four months after giving birth.
Sixteen new designers will compete for their shot at a chance to show their collection during New York Fashion Week and the tents in Bryant Park. They will also receive the chance to sell their line on the web site Bluefly, as well as a cash prize and other goodies.
Viewers familiar with the show will recognize the Atlas Apartments, Parson's School of Design, and other New York landmarks previously featured on the snow.
Let the snarking and backstabbing begin!

Absolutely Love Eloise? Head to the Plaza Hotel

If you are in search of a rawther precocious shopping experience in New York City, then you must hurry hurry hurry to the new Eloise Shop at the Plaza Hotel (Fifth Avenue at Central Park South and 58th Street; 212 759-3000). The 2,100-square-foot shop opened last month, and it’s a tribute to Kay Thompson’s famous little girl who made her home at the even more famous hotel with her Nanny, dog Weenie and turtle Skipperdee.
With its child’s-playhouse-feel, the shop evokes the illustrations magically brought to life by Hilary Knight. The original series of books was written in the 1950s and has become legendary.
The store features a sea of pink in various colors—the full Pepto-Bismol experience awaits in the form of furniture, drapes, carpet, bean bags, and more.
A portrait painted on the wall mimics the original in the lobby; this one was painted by a local artist.
Mums and their darlings will enjoy the Fashion Room, with its tiaras, tutus, sweatshirts, bathrobes, and more, many with the Eloise logo. Across the floor, the Tea Party Rom will soon start offering private tea parties and other special events. A reading room offers Eloise books to read and DVDs to watch; computers will soon be installed.
Also upcoming: A beauty salon as well as an Eloise-theme suite designed by Betsey Johnson.
A ”Live Like Eloise” package was offered by the hotel starting June 1.
And if your little darlings want get in touch with the famed six-year-old directly; a pink mailbox beckons for their notes.
Perhaps, if they’re lucky, a pink note will await them in return.

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!

Cleveland Rocks More Than New York? Say It Ain't So

New York, you didn’t rock--so the Hall of Fame is rolling on out.
Just a year after opening up in New York City, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex, located in SoHo, is gone. The doors closed on Sunday for the last time.
While the original Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is still going strong in Cleveland, the satellite just couldn't make a go of it in the Big Apple. The stagnant economy and fewer tourists over the past year are most likely to blame. (Surely it couldn’t be New Yorkers’ inherent lack of rock-fabulousness? Let’s hope not.) More likely were the pricey tickets ($26.50, $4.50 more than the price of admission in Cleveland.) In a time when attractions are competing for tourist dollars, the not-that-well-known museum in a somewhat-out-of-the-way location (Mercer Street, not necessarily a mecca for tourists) clearly suffered.
The museum had a wide array of memorabilia, ranging from the king’s jumpsuit (that would be Elvis, folks) to a tribute to John Lennon’s years in New York and Bruce Springsteen’s Chevy. It opened to huge press in 2008, and was hailed by Mayor Bloomberg as another must-see stop for tourists.
The Cleveland museum employs more than 900 people and adds $100 million to Cleveland’s economy every year.
Those of you who missed the wooden phone box from the music club CBGB at the New York branch need not despair—opportunities to take the objects on tour are currently being reviewed.

Engine Companies Add Back Staff in the New Year

New Yorkers who read about the cuts in firefighting teams at engine companies last month can rest easier. Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano has restored the fifth member to teams that were reduced to four people.
The change to a four-person team at approximately 49 out of the 194 engine companies across all five boroughs was made after a record number of firefighters called in sick during the last months of the year, taxing the overtime budget. (The companies that were affected the most significantly were those in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, with 15, 14, and 12 companies respectively.)
The Fire Department insisted that the cuts wouldn’t affect response time to fires. The union, however, protested that reducing staff members increases the time it takes firefighters to start properly attacking the fire.
By last December 1, the annual medical-leave rate for firefighters in the city had risen above 7.5 percent. That’s the number at which the New York Fire Department begins to cut staff. The Fire Department made these cuts for the third time in seven years.
Since the cuts were made at about a quarter of the engine companies, however, absenteeism has been lowered significantly, by about sixteen percent, allowing staff to be added.
The city has about 8,800 firefighters. The average number of them out of work during the last three months of November due to various forms of sickness was 500-700 people.

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!