Top Stories by Month: 2009

Posted on: December 29th, 2009 at 6:28 am by

While compiling our top posts of 2009, we realized that there were other stories from the past year which needed to be mentioned.  The list is rather eclectic, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!  Herewith, the most popular stories of 2009, broken down by month.  (Those selections with asterisks (*) indicate “honorable mentions” in months where the top story was already included in yesterday’s tally.)

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Hotel, Motel, Holiday Inn
Before the economic meltdown, hotel construction reached a tipping point on the Lower East Side.  Hardest hit is Orchard Street, where hotels will bring in hordes to witness wholesale destruction of the neighborhood by these same institutions.
> LES Hotel Saturation: A Map

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This Ain’t No Brass Monkey
In February, the landmark Beastie Boys album Paul’s Boutique celebrated its twentieth anniversary. The album cover shot is a photo of the corner of Ludlow and Rivington Streets. Today, it’s a Falafel joint called The Three Monkeys.
> Paul’s Boutique at 20

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*A Saw to See
Probably the biggest street saw in captivity was parked outside the Fat Black Pussycat on West Third Street.
> Street Saw

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*The Sorcerer’s Curse
The Nicholas Cage remake of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice caused a bevy of problems for Eldridge Street residents earlier this year. In addition to the flooding and ceiling collapses, the cleanup needed in the aftermath was epic.
> Cleanup from Cage Film

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*Calvin Klein is Here for the Gang Bang
Calvin Klein spent the year hoisting highly risque banner billboards above the intersection of East Houston and Lafayette.
> Sex is Back on East Houston

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*Big Tools Sighted on the Bowery
No, not the 100 douchebags sought after on Orchard Street, but a force of heavy duty machinery at the future site of a new structure by “Hot” Karl Fischer. Seven stories will rise from the ashes at 263 Bowery.
> Heavy Duty Machinery at 263 Bowery

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*Smoke on the Water, Fire on the Bridge
A tractor trailer on the Brooklyn-bound upper level of the Manhattan Bridge caught fire. No injuries or structural damage was reported.
> Breaking: Fire on the Manhattan Bridge

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Game Over for PSP
The longstanding PSP video game billboard above East Houston gave way to a seemingly-permanent H&M ad space. Gone is the life-sized game system which once hung on high.
> Sony Surrenders PSP

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*A Sausage Fest for All
This year was the celebration of the eighty-second annual San Gennaro Festival on Mulberry Street. These days, the event is considered by many to be inauthentic, more like a watered down tourist trap for the masses.
> Feast of San Gennaro Begins Today

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*New Bitch in Town
The Annex bar/performance venue was replaced by a new bar dubbed Doghouse Saloon. These self-proclaimed “drinking consultants” no doubt pander to the frat scene.
> Annex Replaced by Doghouse Saloon at 152 Orchard

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*Red Light, Green Light, 1-2-3
SHoP Architects is having plenty of trouble selling units inside its fancy new condo building at 290 Mulberry. For a few weeks in November, a colorful light show was activated.
> 290 Mulberry Light Show

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Cooper on Patrol
Rumors are swirling about whether CNN’s Anderson Cooper purchased the New York Fire Patrol House Number 2 on West Third Street.
> Anderson Cooper to Live in Patrol House Number 2?

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