READING: Dave Eggers has delivered two (out of three) great novels, and tonight he reads from last one (which is just out on paperback), What is the What. He'll be at the Strand discussing the book and he'll also give a slideshow presentation from a recent trip he took to Sudan. More info here. Friday // 7pm // Strand Bookstore [828 Broadway] // Free EVENT: We love a good pillow fight, and tonight there's a......

THEATER: In November, Tom Stoppard’s latest smash hit Rock ‘n’ Roll will transfer from London to Broadway (delighting Rushmore fans by bringing Brian Cox – AKA Dr. Guggenheim – in tow.) In the meantime, fans of our most intellectually dazzling living playwright can plug into Stoppard Goes Electric, an evening of three short teleplays that Stoppard penned for BBC early in his career. According to the Boomerang Theatre Company, which is producing the program, some......

BEER: This one is pretty simple...there will be lots (58!) of New York beers, and a few bands to soundtrack your drinking them, at the Seaport tonight. Go, imbibe, enjoy! Friday // 5 to 10pm // South Street Seaport // $55 THEATER: Paso Doble was a sold-out hit at the 60th anniversary Festival d’Avignon last summer; for one weekend only sculptor Miquel Barceló and dancer Josef Nadj have brought their messy spectacle to St. Ann’s......

With Labor Day weekend well under way, the season of block parties is about to come to an end. The NY Times has a story today on 4 of the 225 block parties that took place in the city last weekend (overall most take place in Brooklyn). That high number is courtesy of the mayor’s street activity permitting office. To get approval one must fill out an “application for street activity permit,” pay $15 in......

During the summers, city shelters see a spike in unwanted pets, and this year is no different. NYC's Animal Care & Control is "taking in 85 cats and kittens a day - up from about 50 a day just a few months ago," according to the Daily News. Animal Care & Control is worried they will have to start euthanizing adoptable cats and dogs, because they are, as director Richard Gentiles says, "being inundated." From......

It's a big outdoor weekend, so good thing there are 51 outdoor pools opening up for the season around the city today (here's a "best of" list). If you prefer to stay dry, here are some options... EVENT: The Afro Punk series begins at BAMcafé tonight. The series kicks off with a spotlight on the Black Panthers, including "an Opening Night discussion with Black Panther co-Founder Bobby Seale, Gloria Rolando’s Eyes of the Rainbow (1997),......

What do you get when you combine bacon, peanut butter and bananas? If you answered a stomachache then you may wish to stop reading this entry and go indulge in a rice cake or two. If not, then you probably know that those are the ingredients in one of Elvis Presley's favorite sandwiches. For some ungodly reason Gothamist went to R.U.B. after the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party last Sunday and spotted a new item......

Down at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party Sunday it sure seemed that everybody was having a grand ole' time. It seemed bigger than ever, with people spilled into every nook and cranny of the park, filed into a long row of picnic tables on Madison, and splayed out on to the sidewalk everywhere else. Our group was made of up veterans of the previous four events, had the lay of the land and......

June 7 - June 11: Broadway Panhandler "Yard Sale" Just because they don't technically have a yard in their new location won't stop Broadway Panhandler from having its annual Yard Sale, where you can find discounts of up to 75 percent off on select cooking supplies. 65 East 8th Street, 212-966-3434. June 8: Beard on Film Join directors whose films will be featured at the upcoming NYC Food Film Festival (June 14–16, 21–23, September 6–8):......

In case you need a warm up for the Big Apple BBQ Block Party this weekend, newest NYC 'cue joint Hill Country NYC is scheduled to open on Friday, June 8th. The product of a collaboration between Robbie Richter, the man behind BBQ-NYC (pictured above with his brisket) and partner Marc Glosserman, Hill Country NYC aims to give diners the experience of Texas Hill Country barbecue without ever leaving Manhattan. Off the Broiler gives a......

Has DiFara been shuttered by the DOH? A tipster saw a telltale yellow sign slapped up. Sigh. [Eater] Zak Pelaccio has left the building at 5 Ninth, leaving Dan Parilla at the helm. [Mouthing Off] More crappy news -- could it possibly be the last summer of the Red Hook ball fields vendors? Put on your community action hat and write a letter to the Parks Commissioner, stat. [Grub Street] Get ready for the 5th......

Okay, so it's been 2007 for the last four days but since everyone's doing it from the critics circles to the awards nominating pools, it seemed worth it to weigh in on last year's movies. However, constructing end of the year top ten lists can be both painful and thrilling. Looking at a long list of the year's movie releases reminds you how many films passed you by in the theaters and playing favorites amongst......

Brownstoner reports that the beautiful and strange Broken Angel building and lot are for sale. While the listing for Broken Angel and an adjacent lot is not online, Brownstoner saw a tearsheet:The Angel itself is at 4-6 Downing Street and sits on a 40-by-100-foot lot zoned for R6. At 13,000 square feet, the current building is actually overbuilt by about 4,000 square feet. The empty lot next door at 8 Downing is 20-by-100-feet. The......

Christopher Wood, son of Broken Angel owners/creators Arthur and Cindy Wood, updates what is happening with the 4 Downing Street building in Brooklyn. As the Woods are working with Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture to bring the building to code, there is still a court hearing tomorrow to see if the Department of Buildings has been justified in its actions (the DOB has threatened demolition and removed the Woods from the house). The Woods are......

André 3000 and Big Boi bring their Grammy-winning mojo to the big screen this week with their much anticipated musical, Idlewild. Set in a '30s speakeasy complete with marcel wave hairdos and juke joint stepping, the movie also coincides with the release of a new OutKast record featuring songs from the flick. Hopefully director Bryan Barber has made something be more substantial than one terribly long, theme music video. Some might argue drinking lots of......

MUSIC: Propect Park. TV on the Radio. Matt Pond PA. Voxtrot. Free. Need we say more? Bring a blanket. Friday // 6:30pm // Prospect Park Bandshell // Free READING: On of our favorite New Yorkers, Joan Didion, will be reading from her masterful book, The Year of Magical Thinking, tonight in Central Park. The book, which chronicles the year after Pulitzer-prize-winning Didion lost her husband John Gregory Dunne to a heart attack, was a taut,......

COMEDY: Our favorite duo, Gil Faizon (Nick Kroll) and George St. Geegland (John Mulaney), will be bringing their "Oh Hello" show to UCB. Drop by, even if it's just for their famous Tuna-tina recipe. In addition, there will be NEW drink recipes...and special guests. Photo of the duo, taken at Movable Hype, via Bluejake. Friday // 7pm // UCB Theater [226 W th St] MUSIC: If you got shut out of Band of Horses tonight......

It's the amazing event that pigs and cows fear most! The Big Apple BBQ Block Party took over a good part of the Madison Square Park area with ten different barbecue offerings along a few blocks on Madison Avenue and on 24th Street (we remember when it was only on East 27th!). The BBQ Block Party benefits the Madison Square Park Conservancy, and it was great to see everyone enjoying the event, from hauling......

through June 18: 1996 at Rain Rain celebrates its 10th anniversary by rolling back prices and reviving dishes from their opening year. Reminisce over Duck Fajitas, Classic Green Curry Chicken and Fried Banana Splits, and Guest also receive an additional 10% off on their next visit. Enjoy the vintage prices Monday through Friday 6:00pm-11:00pm, Saturday 5:00pm-12:00am and Sunday 5:00pm-10:00pm. 100 West 82nd Street. To make reservations please call 212-501-0776. June 8: A Taste of the......

THEATER: Mike Daisey, the versatile, unpredictable monologuist (and onetime Gothamist interviewee), has revealed a lot about his own past and personality over the course of his years of performing and writing. Now, in the last entry of the season at Galapagos' "Evolve" series, he's going after new material -- a select array of "Great Men of Genius" other than himself. Last week he explored the life of Bertolt Brecht; tonight, he takes on circus impresario......

Can't you just feel the Oscar buzz in the air? The jangling of borrowed jewels and the buzzing of nominees nerves is like a cacophony even on this coast. Gothamist is excitedly anticipating the telecast like June Carter Cash before a duet with Johnny. In the meantime though, there are movies to be watched. As for the new releases, if you like movies where Bruce Willis takes charge with his sensitive but still ass-kicking masculinity,......

Variety (subscription required, sadly) reports that the new Chapelle's Show segments that were meant to be for season three (you know, the season that was supposed to air earlier this year, only to crumble amidst production delays, rumors of a mental hospital stay, and Chappelle in South Africa) will be shown online first (on the Motherload) and then on cable in 2006. And Comedy Central is calling it season three. At a taping of Last......

PARTY: Neighborhoodies is having a dance party at Rififi this Saturday. Wear that clever t-shirt you made and get ready to dance, dance, dance. Click on the flyer to the right for more info. DANCE: The Nilas Martins Dance Company is continuing the celebration of the legacy of George Balanchine at SummerStage. Along with other performances, a ballet created by Peter Martins with the music of the late Ray Charles, will be performed in his......

- Queens get to join in the reindeer Olympic Games bid "fun" - Keeping your teeth clean while drinking wine - Gothamist does damage at the 3rd Annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party - New Yorkers react to the Michael Jackson verdict - There are free UN Tours this month - Summer movie fun! Drive-In movies at Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park's movies - Apparently the Manhattan Borough President has a great voice -......

We've been there from the beginning: the first, and the second, so it goes without saying that when we found out about the 3rd Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, we knew we'd be going. But, we'll admit that last year, even though we were ultimately placated by some of the best barbecue in the country, we were pretty annoyed by the crowds and the lines. Apparently, we weren't the only ones. This year brought......

June 9th: The Rosés of Summer The good folks at Artisanal Cheese Center invite you to taste summer, in the form of six refreshing rosés paired with twelve of the world's best cheeses. Tix are $75 and can be purchased by calling 212-871-3144. Artisanal Premium Cheese Center, 500 West 37th Street, 2nd Floor, entrance on 10th Avenue, 6:30pm - 8:30pm. June 11 & 12: The Third Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party Time to bring......

Two food events of note over the next few days. Don't let a little snow keep you away! March 1: The Edible Airwaves -- How to Cook for Television, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m at the Museum of Television and Radio. This panel features Food Network personalities Mario Batali, Alton Brown, and Giada De Laurentiis (pictured at right), and is moderated by Jeffrey Steingarten. Tickets are $15 each for non-members, $12 for members, and $7 for......

The folks uptown at Broadway's WICKED are painting the town green for their one year anniversary. Starting on Monday and going all week long, they have a busy schedule of events planned all over the city. The events will include a "WICKED Day" Block Party; the Z100 "Be WICKED" Singing Contest; a special WICKED Night at Barnes & Noble-Union Square and participation in this year's annual Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. Barnes & Noble-Union Square (33......

Aha - it all comes together. So Saturday's Dave Chappelle's Block Party was the setting for the Wattstax-like documentary film he was making with Michel Gondry. But who knew that it was going to be a reunion of the Fugees? Could only Dave Chappelle pull that off? The NY Times' reviews the concert, noting Lauryn Hill's crazy episode during an Unplugged set that helped keep the Fugees apart and how people were bused into the......

Fall is in the air, bringing with it a handful of new restaurant openings. Both the Daily News and New York Magazine have released their Fall preview lists to get us ready for the season. Gothamist has whittled down the lists to create our own short list of places we'd like to hit first: Lure Fishbar, 142 Mercer Street, opening mid-September. We're always up for seafood, so we're eager to take a peek at this......