The first Gotham Storytelling Festival concluded Monday night after being postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. Six days of music and storytelling at Under St. Marks, a venue at the Horse Trade Theater, brought together dozens of authors, comics, musicians and just regular folks to share in the art of the story. Our Town Downtown was 
‘Cotton Club Parade’ brings back musical history By Valerie Gladstone Cotton Club Parade opens with the robust Jazz at Lincoln Center All Stars, directed by Daryl Waters, swinging into “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love,” “I’ve Got the World on a String” and “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,” offering a tantalizing 
By Paul Bisceglio Following the City Council’s approval of new safety regulations for commercial bicyclists earlier this month, a Department of Transportation representative met with Community Board 1’s Quality of Life Committee last Thursday to detail the expected changes. “This is not about hammering down on small businesses that are already feeling pressure from 
Compiled by Norah Bosworth Public Hearing on Proposed Soho BID According to a release from the SoHo Alliance, councilmember Margaret Chin has called a public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 10 a.m. at City Hall on the proposed Soho Business Improvement District (BID). The hearing will be conducted by the City Council’s Finance Committee 
By Meredith Russo You’ve dreamt this day would come—only this time you’re wide-awake. Whether you got punched in the face, fell down the stairs or just bit an exceptionally hard pita chip, it’s time to grin and bear it. On second thought, scratch the grin. 1) Stop! Whatever you do, don’t swallow. 2) Spit it 
By John Friia “Tutti a tavola a mangiare,” chef Lidia Bastianich repeats at the end of every episode of her televised cooking show. The message welcomes everyone to the table to eat, and Bastianich has taken that saying to the next level. Bastianich can now add Dean of La Scuola di Eataly to her résumé. 
Teachers vie for ‘roof time’ to diversify teaching By Naomi Cohen On a windy afternoon, 13-year-old Hannah Quirk is on her school’s roof, a tray of biodegradable cups of tender green mustard salad in hand. Her peers pace the garden aisles of the two-block deck—one boasting the flavor of the freshly picked Asian kale salad,
Compiled by Nora Bosworth and Naomi Cohen City Approves East Village Landmark District Neighborhood preservation groups secured a victory on Tuesday, Oct. 9, when the New York City Landmarks Preservation Society voted to approve the Lower East Side/East Village Historic District. The district includes 330 buildings and covers parts of the 15 blocks between Avenue A 
By Angela Barbuti Ed Asner is still acting in his eighties. But his quick wit and unique outlook on life make him able to transcend the age gap. An entertainer for all generations, he has played endearing roles for the younger set such as Santa Claus in Elf and Carl in Up. But others will 
