By Laura Shanahan

 We welcome feedback!” Ooh, don’t you love it when a store manager talks that way?

Today we’re at the brand-spanking-new Fox’s, at the southeast corner of Broadway and 80th – the long-shuttered site of the late, great Filene’s Basement/SYMS Tailored & Tux, now shuttered no longer. We’re chatting up a manager at this women’s off-price designer label emporium (yes, much like its predecessor), and he’s totally impressing me with his eagerness to serve the neighborhood – he didn’t know I was a reporter disguised as a mild-mannered shopper, so he wasn’t best behavior’ing me.

When I noted the neighborhood – indeed all of Manhattan – is a late-night kind of place, he nodded in agreement, pointing out that this outpost of Fox’s, the first and only one in Manhattan, is open until 9 p.m. (Monday through Saturday, until 7 p.m. on Sunday), contrasted with the much earlier closing time of other branches. (Fox’s is in Brooklyn and Queens in the metro area, plus more outlying areas/states.)

If you like to sparkle plenty, you’ll love this place, with its preponderance of embellished fashions. Find lots of sequins, studs, silver stitch-work, faceted beads and other frills and furbelows glamming up the goods. Like bold in-your-face baubles? As the old Prego commercials (sorta) went, they’re all in there.  Jazzed-up jeans? Check.

But there are also classic tailored pieces, even genteel ones, among the glitz. Consider the soft, like “buttah,” wool-with-a-touch-of-cashmere-and-nylon fitted blazers by Louben in a gentle sky blue, camel or chartreuse. Featuring a neat notched lapel, side slash-pockets and a single button closure, the garment’s body-conscious fit follows the contours of the waist and hips. Perfect for a mild spring day, the silky-lined lightweight jacket is $99.99 (“compare at $348″ invites the tag).

It’s still glove weather, however, and if you can use an extra pair, check out the your-choice-$19 selection by International Leather Industries. I’d say the gloves’ leather is glove soft, but that would be dopey, right? Let’s put it this way: These aren’t the ugly bulky kind you wear on frigid days; they’re more chic and dressy accessories that at least cut the chill. Choices include a clean-lined style with no cluttering detail in mid-gray; a tomato red pair with a bow-centered gathering at the wrist; a glossy black-patent-leather pair with a thin plush lining; and mittens in chocolate or tomato with a thicker plush lining. Yeah, real leather mittens; go figure.

Nicely transitional is the Elie Tahari pearl-gray knit cardigan in a creamy silk-and-cashmere blend with a graduated hemline – long in back, tapering upward in front. A spill of detailed-stitch-work ruffle accents one side of the softly draping shawl collar; $59, please.

Skipping back to the spring stuff – the season kicks off in less than two weeks (wheee!) – there are diaphanous organdy Swiss-dotted sleeveless shirts by Double Zero. The see-through pale aqua fabric is made more demure by chest pockets, but it’s the kind of thing you’ll almost certainly wear over a camisole or tank – please, there are children on the street; $24.

Now this screams better-days-are-coming: the P. Luca Milano skinny stretch jeans in sunshine yellow splashed with posies predominantly in pinky peach, brown, gold and white; $29. They’ll really see you walking down Broadway in these – so practice your strut and your smile.

Fast-forward to today, and you can see how MTA public transportation is still one of the best bargains in town.
—Larry Penner

DEFYING COMMON SENSE
To the Editor:
It defies common sense that any municipality would place a transfer station of this scope in a densely populated residential neighborhood. The number of garbage trucks alone will overwhelm the narrow streets. No other facility of this kind is anywhere near a New York City neighborhood, especially one with so many children and schools. This area of Yorkville is a beautiful, quiet corner of the city with Carl Schurz Park and Gracie Mansion only a few blocks away. Has the mayor or Christine Quinn ever really spent any time here? The existing facility has been closed for years because of its negative impact on the community. No amount of modernization can deflect its impact. I feel that the community is actually being victimized because there are no powerful development interests here. Can you imagine the mayor trying to place this facility in the “hot” Tribeca area or near the new West Side developments? In addition, trying to paint this neighborhood as part of the elite Upper East Side is disingenuous. This is a working-class Manhattan neighborhood. Not that it matters. This does not belong near anyone’s home or school. Everyone needs to continue to remind our mayor that this facility is unacceptable, and to remind Quinn that we vote.
—Sharon Wolf Horowitz

“Grading buses is an easy way to let commuters know what they’re getting, and let the MTA know where they need to improve,” Lappin said in a statement. “For the past two years I’ve issued a report card on Select Bus Service, and it’s been a great transparency tool. Why not extend it to all bus lines?”

Earlier this year, Lappin issued a report card that gave Select Bus Service a “B” for its quality of service. MTA itself conducts customer satisfaction surveys for its overall service on buses, but does not rate individual bus lines.

VANDERBILT YMCA HOLDS CLOTHING DRIVE, FREE DINNER
Vanderbilt YMCA at 224 East 47th Street is conducting a clothing drive throughout the month to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy. The organization is seeking donations of coats, thermals, gloves, scarves, hats and socks, which they will bundle and distribute to needy families and individuals who attend their free Christmas dinner on Dec. 25. Clothing collection runs through Dec. 21.

STRINGER SEEKS NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer is selecting next year’s class of Community Board members. Manhattan is divided geographically into 12 communities, each of which has its own board of up to 50 unpaid local members appointed by Stringer. The boards have no administrative rights, but present requests to the city’s administration that address neighborhood quality of life, business and residential issues. Stringer is holding information sessions about the application process on Thursday, Dec. 13, and Tuesday, Jan. 8, in the Municipal Building at 1 Centre St., 6:30 to 8 p.m. RSVP to cbinfo@manhattanbp.org.

EAST RIVER C.R.E.W. HOPES TO FUND BOAT REPAIRS
East River CREW (Community Recreation and Education on the Water) is wrapping gifts this month to raise repair funds for its two 25-foot boats. The nonprofit, which provides free non-competitive rowing to educate New Yorkers about the East River, will be at the Barnes & Noble at 150 E. 86th Street on Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m.

According to the organization, one of its boats was punctured during Hurricane Sandy. The second boat was damaged while being wheeled to the East River Esplanade at East 96th Street. The nonprofit uses the boats to promote stewardship of the city’s waters, and runs many programs for schoolchildren.

The organization is also seeking tax-deductible donations. More details can be found at East River CREW’s website, www.eastrivercrew.org.

FREE CHRISTMAS GALA
Arts at the Park, a component of the Park Avenue Christian Church, is holding a free Christmas Gala on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The show will feature a program of choral and instrumental music and readings, with a focus on female composers. Works include organ pieces, a medieval English carol and an African-American spiritual. The concert will conclude with sing-along Christmas tunes and a hot chocolate toast. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at 1010 Park Ave.

ST. THOMAS CHURCH
1 W. 53rd St.
Visit St. Thomas Church on Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. to see the annual Christmas pageant, put on by the Youth Group and Sunday School. The play is A New York Carol by Lucky Gold; admission is free and everyone is welcome.

TEMPLE EMANU-EL
1 E. 65th St.
A tradition at Temple Emanu-El is attending the lighting of candles during Chanukah. Starting on the night of Dec. 8 and going through Dec. 15, you can attend the lighting of the last candle at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 15.

ALL SOULS UNITARIAN CHURCH
1157 Lexington Ave.
Enjoy unique Christmas music when All Souls Unitarian Church hosts the concert “Creator of the Stars: Christmas Music from the Old World,” on Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. The music will be joyful hymns and chants that can transport listeners to the Renaissance. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased on their website at www.allsoulsnyc.org

CHURCH OF ST. JEAN BAPTISTE
184 E. 76th St.
After the weekly 10:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. masses on Sunday, Dec. 16, the Church of Saint Jean Baptiste will be hosting a Christmas Brunch for everyone who attended.

CHURCH OF ST. AGNES
143 E. 43rd St.
Get ready to sing on Dec. 19 at 6 p.m., when the Church of St. Agnes hosts its annual hourlong sing-along, which will feature Advent and Christmas songs and hymns with Schola Cantorum and the Parish Choir.

ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL
460 Madison Ave.
Another Christmas tradition is the annual “A City Singing at Christmas” on Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. Listen or sing along to classic and modern Christmas songs and hymns with the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Choir, the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, New York Master Chorale and New York Symphonic Brass. General seating is free and open to the public.

ST. BART’S
325 Park Ave.
Head over to St. Bart’s Church for a night of singing Christmas songs outside and drinking hot cider, on Dec. 17 starting at 5:30 p.m. Another special event that St. Bart’s is holding is the Adoration of the Magi, which takes place Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the chapel.

LINCOLN SQUARE SYNAGOGUE
200 Amsterdam Ave.
The Lincoln Square Synagogue is holding a Chanukah Dinner on Dec. 14 and people can enjoy great food and desserts and listen to guest speaker Dr. Yoram Hazony. Then on Dec. 15 there will be a Chanukah Party for the youths of the community. Starting at 4:15 p.m., children can enjoy music, cookie decorating, applesauce making, latkes, dreidel making and menorah lighting.

ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
411 E. 68th St.
Be a part of some joyous singing on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. when you visit St. Catherine of Siena. The annual candlelight and sing-along service is always a tradition in the community.

ST. IGNATIUS LOYOLA PARISH
980 Park Ave.
Visit St. Ignatius on Dec. 16, and see their annual Christmas concert, “Gloria!” People can enjoy some Christmas classics, such as “O Holy Night” and “Bambino.” The main presentation is John Rutter’s “Gloria,” which includes a brassy and extroverted masterwork.

HOLY CROSS CHURCH
329 W. 42nd St.
On Dec. 16 at 7 p.m., Holy Cross will be hosting its annual Christmas concert, and the proceeds raised will go to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy. This year the concert features renowned American soprano Aprile Millo. Tickets can be purchased at www.holycrossnyc.com
MADISON AVENUE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
921 Madison Ave.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, numerous events are being held at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. Carol singing takes place Dec. 16 at 4 p.m., and features the New York City Chorus. Rev. Dr. Fred Anderson will give a special sermon Dec. 23 at 11:15 a.m.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
135 E. 96th St.
Celebrate the season with their hourlong Christmas concert that includes sounds of the season on Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. Right after the concert, there will be a reception and a “surprise” visit by St. Nick.

CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION
221 W. 107th St.
After every mass on Dec. 16, downstairs in the church there will be breakfast with Santa. Children will have a fun-filled morning when they meet with Santa and take pictures with him.

CHURCH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
1 E. 29th St.
Celebrate a baroque Christmas at the Church of the Transfiguration on Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. With a selection of Christmas hymns and carols sung and performed by the Choir of Men and Boys, Girls, Camerata and Early Instrument Chamber Ensemble. Tickets are $25 for adults; $15 for students and seniors.

IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH
122 E. 88th St.
Ever wonder what Christmas is like in different countries? Immanuel Lutheran Church will be hosting a concert Dec. 16 at 11 a.m., featuring the children’s choir performing Christmas songs from numerous countries. After the performance there will be an international buffet, and people are encouraged to bring their own cultural dishes.

CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANY
1393 York Ave.
Enjoy a morning of lessons and carols on Dec. 16 at 11 a.m., with the Church of the Epiphany. Throughout the morning, attendees will be doing readings, prayers and listening to seasonal music sung by the Cherub Choir and Epiphany Choir.

The performance begins at 6 p.m. There is no charge, though ESNA requests that attendees bring an unwrapped toy, game or book to be donated to a needy child in Ambulatory Pediatrics of New York Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center on East 68th Street.

FIVE YEARS PROBATION FOR MADAM GRISTINA
“Upper East side madam” Anna Gristina spent roughly 45 minutes in custody on Tuesday, Nov. 27, after accepting a plea bargain that sentenced her to time served in state Supreme Court. In exchange for the sentence, the 45-year-old tabloid sensation pleaded guilty in September to running an elaborate brothel out of an East 78th Street apartment, a scandal that led to charges against her back in February.

Gristina served four months on Rikers Island this year before her bail was lowered in June. Her family has claimed that she was forced to wear a diaper in an unsanitary cell there. Had Gristina gone to trial and been convicted, she could have been sentenced to seven years in prison. Now, she faces five years of probation.

Gristina was born in Scotland and is not a United States citizen, so she is at risk of deportation.

GARODNICK SEEKS DELAY FOR POST-SANDY EVICTIONS
City Council Member Dan Garodnick and a group of legal and tenant advocacy groups submitted a letter to the New York City Civil Court last week requesting an extended moratorium on housing evictions through the end of the year.

A moratorium was first issued shortly after Hurricane Sandy to help those New Yorkers who suffered losses catch up on expenses and secure benefits without losing their homes. The ban was lifted on Monday, Nov. 26, but thousands of New Yorkers remained displaced by the storm and lingered in the city’s already-crowded shelters. Garodnick and the advocacy groups—which included MFY Legal Services, Legal Services NYC and Three-Quarter House Tenant Organizing Project, among 16 others—agreed that many residents need more time to return their lives to normal.

“We were in the midst of a serious housing crisis in this city even before the hurricane hit,” Garodnick said in a press conference on Thursday, Nov. 29. “Our city shelters are full, even without the thousands of those displaced because of the storm. Let’s give people just a little more time to get on their feet. To resume evictions when we know many families will have nowhere to go is callous and irresponsible.”

Kevin Cremin, director of Litigation for Disability and Aging Rights at MFY Legal Services, told Our Town, “Some people have lost work and are unemployed because of Hurricane Sandy. They might be eligible for unemployment compensation or FEMA benefits, but those benefits might not have come in yet, so they just need some more time.”

Cremin noted that the Civil Court customarily issues a weeklong holiday moratorium on evictions at the end of December. Garodnick mentioned that the moratorium would also help save the city money by reducing sheltering costs.

“Discarded newspapers are a major component in the city’s waste stream,” said Rob Byrnes, president of the East Midtown Partnership. “The amount of paper, especially during the morning commute, not only leads to overflowing trashcans and unsightliness, it also contaminates materials which we should be recycling. This program will be a win for East Midtown cleanliness and a win for the environment.”

East Midtown Partnership has collected over 13 million pounds of trash since 2002, a significant portion of which the partnership says could have been recycled if the new initiative had been in place. Collection from the receptacles began after the announcement.

CITY ENDS GAS RATIONING
Mayor Michael Bloomberg lifted the city’s emergency regulation of gas purchases on Saturday, over three weeks after Hurricane Sandy crippled the city’s fuel supply.

The rationing, which went into effect on Nov. 10, restricted the sale of gasoline to cars with even-numbered license plates on even days of the month and odd-numbered plates on odd days (excluding taxis, buses and emergency vehicles).

Bloomberg and other elected officials initially thought that supplies would return to normal a few days after the storm, but damage to fuel refineries and shipping networks, in addition to the nor’easter that struck the city shortly after the hurricane, dramatically slowed repairs. At some stations, drivers had to wait for over six hours in police-monitored lines for fuel.

Critics of gas rationing were unsure it would make a difference, but according to Bloomberg, the plan was a success. “The odd-even license plate system not only significantly reduced extreme lines, but also eased anxiety and disruptions for drivers at gas stations across the five boroughs,” he said in a statement.

At the time of the announcement, about 85 percent of the city’s gas stations were operational, up from around 25 percent when the rationing was put into effect.

UPPER EAST SIDE: THE VIDEO GAME
Idea Studios, a Romanian developer, has released a new online videogame called Upper East Side Makeover. The game pits an attractive young woman against the challenge of dressing up for the city’s most elite parties, which includes activities like hairstyling and makeup application.

According to the game’s website, www.enjoydressup.com, “Upper East Side Makeover brings you the Upper East Side beauty, makeup and fashion in your own homes, without having to spend any money to get the stylish and high maintenance Upper East Side look. How awesome is that, girls!”
The game, the website promises, “will turn you into an Upper East Side fashion diva with just a bit of beauty, makeup and styling practice.”

Daniel Tamas, Idea Studios CFO and co-founder, told DNAinfo.com that the game was inspired by the Upper East Side’s depiction in American pop culture, such as music and movies. “It’s pretty marketed,” he said of the neighborhood.

Tamas admitted that he had never visited New York City, but argued that the game was still an authentic depiction of Upper East Side high society. “There are some singers in the U.S. that actually use the theme,” he said.

New Yorkers helped re-elect President Barack Obama last week, but not without some technical difficulties.

The damages wrought on the city by Hurricane Sandy prompted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to issue an order that residents who had evacuated their homes could vote at any poll site in the state by using affidavit ballots. Many sites failed to get word of the order, which went out only the day before the election, however, and some city polls quickly ran out of the 250 affidavits that the city printed for each election district.

Jammed ballot scanners added to the confusion of relocated polling sites and affidavits, which together resulted in lines that stretched blocks. At some sites, voters waited three hours or more to cast their votes.

The city’s Upper East and Upper West sides were particularly burdened with delays. Many storm-struck New York residents fled to friends’ and relatives’ homes in the city’s less-damaged neighborhoods last week, so these polling sites were disproportionately crowded.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg criticized the Board of Elections for failing to be organized. The Board of Elections, in turn, argued that it did not have enough time to train poll workers following Cuomo’s order.

LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER REOPENS OUTPATIENT FACILITIES

After a backup generator failure and subsequent full evacuation during Hurricane Sandy, New York University’s Langone Medical Center made progress last week toward fully reopening by resuming outpatient care on Friday.

The award-winning medical center, which includes the NYU School of Medicine and three hospitals, re-launched its ambulatory care centers and faculty group practices earlier in the week, and by Friday was fully equipped to take on short-term (non-overnight) patients.

The medical center’s First Avenue location near East 32nd Street made it particularly susceptible to East River flooding, which knocked out the backup generator and caused extensive damage to the buildings’ lower levels. The medical center predicts that it was hit by a storm surge of close to 14 feet. Hospital workers spent hours on Oct. 29 moving patients out of the buildings during the storm, some down many flights of stairs. Patients were moved to other hospitals in the city, including St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, Mount Sinai and Lenox Hill.

As of Monday, the Langone Medical Center’s inpatient (long-term) services, labs, pharmacy and emergency department remained closed. NYU was still assessing the extent of the damage to the building and its facilities caused by the storm, and no official full reopening date for the medical center had been set.

CITY RATIONS GASOLINE

In its second week of fuel shortage following Hurricane Sandy, New York City began rationing gasoline last Friday in an attempt to restock its dwindling supply. Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Thursday, Nov. 9, that gas stations would begin restricting sales to vehicles with even-numbered license plates on even days of the month and odd-numbered plates on odd days. (Taxis, buses and emergency vehicles were exempted.)

The rationing came despite Bloomberg’s and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s earlier assurances that fuel supplies would return to normal shortly after the storm. Hurricane Sandy jeopardized supplies by cutting power to gas stations across the city, damaging refineries and crippling the fuel distribution network of ports and terminals. Last week’s nor’easter delayed replenishment efforts by interrupting petroleum terminal repairs and further slowing fuel shipments.

In his announcement, Bloomberg noted that the shortage could last another week or more. He also said that only a fourth of the city’s roughly 800 gas stations were in operation at any given time. The NYPD assigned police officers to all open stations last week to keep order. At some stations, waits in line stretched beyond three hours.

UES IS HOME TO AMERICA’S MOST EXPENSIVE NEIGHBORHOOD
Forbes released its annual list of the country’s most expensive ZIP codes last week, and for the first time ever, a Manhattan neighborhood came out on top. The Upper East Side’s 10065 ZIP, which covers 60th to 68th Street between the East River and Central Park, boasts a median price of $6.5 million for homes. The most expensive residence actually has yet to be built, but will soon be a six-story limestone townhouse with an underground pool, a waterfall and a glass elevator—and a $40 million price tag.

Also in the running was Greenwich Village, ranked No. 6. According to Forbes, the main factor behind this year’s most expensive neighborhoods is “lack of inventory,” so it is no surprise that Manhattan ZIP codes rank highly.

President Bill Clinton glances at the camera during the dedication of the new Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. It is the newest addition and New Yorks’s 214th state park.

LONG-DELAYED FOUR FREEDOMS PARK OPENS THIS WEEK
Almost four decades since it was conceived, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park opened to the public on Wednesday.

The four-acre memorial to the 34th president of the United States sits at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island in the East River across from the United Nations building, and features tree-lined walkways, a large bronze bust of Roosevelt, and a granite monument with excerpts quoting the four essential freedoms named in his famous 1941 State of the Union address: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear.

The park was originally designed by architect Lawrence Kahn, who died shortly after completing drawings in 1974. Financial troubles caused the city to shelve the project, but it was revived in 2005 by former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. William vanden Heuvel after a documentary on Kahn renewed interest.
“We hope visitors of different ages will understand that the four freedoms are the core values of democracy and that each generation has to be sure to protect them,” said vanden Heuvel in announcing the opening.

The park seeks to transform a nearby abandoned hospital into a visitors’ center over the next several years, and will work with Cornell University, which is opening a graduate school on the island, to build a dock for transporting guests via water taxi.

Frankie Quinney puts the finishing touches on raising the Big Top tent for the Big Apple Circus in Lincoln Center. Tickets go on sale this week for the circus’s all-new, 34th season production, Legendarium!

LAPPIN DEMANDS RETURN OF TRASH CANS
A month ago, the MTA brought a pilot program intended to curb trash and litter in the subway to the East 57th Street F station. The program, which removed trash cans at eight stations around the city in an effort to reduce the frequency of refuse pick-ups and deter the rodent population, is supposed to last for six months, but Council Member Jessica Lappin is demanding the trash cans returned to the Upper East Side spot. Armed with the results of a constituent survey, Lappin insists that one month is enough time to tell that the program isn’t working.

“As you might expect, taking away the trash cans doesn’t mean people magically stop producing garbage,” said Lappin in a statement.

The survey, to which 218 people responded, found that 66 percent of subway riders said they’ve noticed more trash at the F station in the past month, and that 93 percent of people just don’t like the plan.

EAST SIDE TOWN HALL
Upper East Siders are invited to schmooze with their elected officials and get the chance to air their grievances and share their ideas at a town hall meeting next Tuesday. The meeting is sponsored by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer along with U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velázquez, state Sens. Tom Duane, Liz Krueger, Jose Serrano and Daniel Squadron, Assembly Members Richard Gottfried, Brian Kavanagh, Micah Kellner, Dan Quart and Sheldon Silver, and Council Members Margaret Chin, Dan Garodnick, Jessica Lappin and Rosie Mendez, as well as Community Boards 3, 5, 6 and 8. Representatives from government agencies will also be attending. Tuesday, Oct. 23, 6 to 8 p.m. Lighthouse International, 111 E. 59th St. RSVP by calling 212-669-4451 or email RSVP@manhattanbp.org.

OLD U.E.S. DRUGSTORE OPEN FOR NEW RETAIL
The former home of Lascoff Drugs, 1209 Lexington Ave., is on the market. The owners closed the iconic store, which has been operating since 1899, this past July, deciding to retire and sell the building. Winick Realty Group is marketing the space, which has 1,600 square feet on the main floor and 600 feet each in the mezzanine and basement. It’s available for $36,000 a month, which they note is a substantial discount when compared to rents around the corner on East 86th Street, where storefronts are going for $500 a square foot. The building boasts cathedral-style 20-foot ceilings, 20-foot arched windows, 115 feet of frontage and the ability to co-opt the giant, iconic blade sign out front for a new display. The marketing agents emphasized that the space could work for restaurants or for high-end apparel or cosmetics.

Park Stroll Turns Violent
A 43-year-old man was taking a walk in Carl Schurz Park near Gracie Mansion at East 88th Street on Sunday around 9:15 p.m. He told police that four young men approached him, and one grabbed his right hand while several others punched him in the face. One of the attackers shouted “Give it up” and took the man’s iPhone. All four suspects fled, and the victim said that he could partially identify one of the boys, who he said looked about 16 years old.

Flying Glass Misses Target
On Sunday evening, an ordinary situation at a bar turned into a four-victim assault. At around 8:05 p.m. inside a pub on Second Avenue, a man and woman got into an argument. The woman, 29 years old, got so mad that she flung a glass beer bottle at the man—but she missed him. The bottle instead whacked another man in the face, causing a large laceration on his forehead. The glass broke and went flying, and a fragment also sliced into the toe of another woman sitting with the first victim. When the bottle-tosser tried to run away, a bouncer attempted to stop her, and she kneed him in the groin and punched him in the face. Police arrived before she could escape, however, and arrested the woman for felony assault.

Sneak Attack
A 25-year-old woman was coming home on a recent Sunday morning when she got a terrifying surprise. At 1:47 a.m., the woman was entering the lobby of her building on East 78th Street when a man approached her from behind and grabbed her bag. “Give me your purse,” he demanded, but the victim tried to fight him off. He eventually wrestled the purse away and fled down the street with it. The $350 tan leather Marc Jacobs bag contained the woman’s $200 iPhone, an iPod Touch and cash as well as her ID and credit cards.

Gunpoint Mugging
On Saturday afternoon, a 40-year-old man and his 29-year-old female companion were taking a walk on East 95th Street. At 3:55 p.m., they noticed a man crouched down behind a structure on the street. He popped up and showed the couple a black handgun, then said, “Give me all your money.” The perp took the woman’s purse and the man’s cellphone, and told the woman to lie on the ground. He fled on foot in an unknown direction. The perp, who got away with a $2,867 haul, with the Coach purse containing gift cards, a new iPhone 5, Bose headphones and several expensive IDs, is described as a 40-year-old black man, 5’10”, 150 pounds.