NYC Magazine

The frozen yogurt craze creater, Pinkberry, has more than just lawyers to worry about (they are being sued for false product description in California). Now, rats have been seen running around the stores. Take a look at this news clip before you step into another Pinkberry. Personally, I do not go to Pinkberry anymore…the quality of their product is not what it used to be; the “yogurt” is watery now and the toppings (i.e. fruit) are no longer fresh like they used to be.

(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)

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All I can say is “Simply Amazing.” Google Maps is already a great tool and now Google has even made it better for New Yorkers and those planning to visit New York. There is a new feature called “Street View,” where you can drag an orange figure along the major streets of Manhattan and take a virtual walk in which you can pan, rotate, and zoom onto street photos. Here is screenshot of Times Square:

Go here to take a test run of the new Google feature. All the major streets of Manhattan are covered, while only some of the major roads in the other boroughs are currently covered. If you need help in using the new feature go to the Google Map Demo site, which also features street tours of other major U.S. cities.

(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is planning to implement a cashless toll system on all the six bridges and tunnels connecting New York and New Jersey. Currently, there are cash tolls and E-Z pass tolls at these crossings. The Port Authority believes that by eliminating the cash tolls will reduce congestion. The plan is to install cameras that will take pictures of a car’s license and send a bill to the car’s owner if the car does not have a E-Z pass transmitter. Currently, cash tolls cause traffic slowdowns because drivers need to stop and hand money to a toll operator. In addition, cars with/without EZ-pass have to change lanes in order to get to a EZ-pass/cash toll, which has led to traffic accidents and causes congestion. By implementing the cashless toll, the number of lanes can be reduced while creating free flowing, non-stop traffic.

“An all-electronic toll system could be a tremendous boon to our road transportation system, helping to smooth the choke points at bridges and tunnels,” Anthony Shorris, the Port Authority’s executive director, said Tuesday. “This would mark the end of the tollbooth as we know it, replacing these brick-and-mortar symbols of the 20th century with the digital-imaging technology of the 21st century.”

Right now, the Port Authority is only planning to do a study. If they do roll out the system, New York and New Jersey will be the first states in the nation to have a cashless toll system.

(3 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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I was recently in Los Angeles, where the Pinkberry craze is still running full throttle. There are lines out the stores, which translates to 15-20 min waits. However, there is currently a lawsuit filed by Byran Williams, a Los Angeles resident and consumer, against Pinkberry on the grounds of false advertisement. According to the lawsuit, Pinkberry’s frozen yogurt is not actually yogurt since it contains no bacteria cultures. In addition, California Law also states that frozen yogurt sold in retail establishments must be obtained from a licensed manufacturer and fermented after pasteurization, with its ingredients prominently displayed to consumers. Williams is not suing Pinkberry for money, he just wants them to change their logo and remove yogurt from their website and stores. If the lawsuit goes through, Pinkberry will also have to reveal their secret ingredients to the public, which means their competitors could potentially sell the same product at a lower cost. The frozen yogurt craze in Los Angeles has turned up numerous Pinkberry copycats throughout town. However, consumers still flock to Pinkberry because of its unique taste that the copycats cannot yet produce. There has been news that Pinkberry is actually a copycat of a popular Korean yogurt franchise called Red Mango. It is interesting that Pinkberry’s website no longer has the word yogurt anywhere. Currently, there are three Pinkberry shops in New York City:

• Upper East Side: 1577 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10028 (212) 861-0574
• K-Town/Hearld Square: 7W 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001 (212) 695-9631
• Chelsea: 170 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10011 (212) 488-2510
• SoHo: 80 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012 (212) 965-1414

(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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The image of New York in art and popular culture has long been cemented as one of timeless universality. In the world of painting and photography, among a host of other art forms, New York has been one of the central muses of the art world: from the controversy over Diego Rivera’s Man at the Crossroads mural in the Rockerfeller Center in 1936, to Jonathan Hyman’s post-9/11 photography exhibitions, art has been an important component of the shaping of New York. Amidst its host of world-renowned galleries are the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), The Metropolitan Museum and, perhaps most interestingly, the Guggenheim Museum.

In terms of both its art and architecture, the Guggenheim is one of New York’s most interesting landmarks; as such, it’s an essential stop-off point for any culture vulture in the city. Originally established in 1937 as “The Museum of Non-Objective Painting” the Guggenheim was established with the primary aim of showcasing the work of early modernists; to this day the museum continues to maintain ongoing exhibits of the art of Wassily Kandinsky and Jackson Pollock. Its more recent exhibitions have included eclectic collections: Robert Mapplethorpe and the Classical Traditions, the work of Iraqi-born artists Zaha Hadid and an exhibition of photos showing sculptor David Smith at work.

This wide-ranging selection of exhibits simply proves that while the Guggenheim still adheres to its primary principle of showcasing early modernist art, it also goes a long way in championing post-modern art. Moreover, the Guggenheim has also played host to a distinct selection of commercial art by including seasons of motorcycle exhibitions, as well as a display of Giorgio Armani suits.

The Guggenheim is not only notable for its excellent art collections, but also for its fundamental architectural beauty. Situated at the corner of 89th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan, the Guggenheim museum was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the most influential American architects of the early twentieth century, whose works also include the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Hollyhock House in LA and the Illinois mile-high tower in Chicago. Wright’s avant-garde design was devised for the specific purpose of making the Metropolitan Museum of Art resemble “a Protestant barn”. Looking somewhat like a coiled-up white ribbon, the building was widely reviled at the time of its establishment, but is now generally recognised as one of the defining features of New York’s diverse architectural landscape.

New York’s Guggenheim Museum is part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, a non-profit body founded in 1937 by philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim and artist Hilla von Rebay. Since the foundation of this original Guggenheim Museum in New York the organisation has gone on to open up other Guggenheims across the world. Today, Guggenheim Museums can be found in Bilbao, Berlin, Venice and Las Vegas. Many cultural tourists who are intent on soaking up the delights of the art world across the globe embark on world tours visiting each Guggenheim Museum in turn. Taking advantage of air miles and reward schemes like the Hilton Honors rewards system can makes this sort of round-the-world travel easier - and less expensive - than many might think. So art fans yearning to travel will find that they can visit each Guggenheim Museum in turn without busting their bank balance.

About The Author
Andrew Regan is an online journalist who enjoys socialising at his local rugby club.

http://www.edinburghaccies.com/

(2 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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Tomorrow will mark the opening of the 107th New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Center. The show will run from April 6th to April 15th. This year’s show occupies 850,000 square feet exhibiting about one thousand cars from 36 different car manufacturers. Attendees will get to view sneak previews, brand new 2007/08 production models, and concept vehicles. One of the big themes in this year’s show will be alternative fuel cars. In paricular, further details of the Automotive X Prize (privately funded competiton to encourage reduction of carbon emissions and energy consumption, which seeks a 100 MPG car) will be announced at the show. Tickets can be purchased here and cost $14.00 for Adults and $4.00 for children 12 years and younger.

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Only in New York City can a pizza cost $1,000. This so-called luxury pizza is being offered by Nino’s Bellissima Pizza (890 Second Avenue, New York NY 10017 (at 47th Street)), a upscale pizzeria. The high cost is due to the non-traditional ingredents used: crème fraîche, six kinds of caviar, slices of fresh lobster, and fresh Japanese wasabi. This maybe just one publicity stunt, but the owner says that two people have already brought the pizza. This is not the first luxury food item offered in New York City, there is the $1,000 omelete offered at Norma’s in the Le Parker Meridien hotel and the $1,000 sundae (with edible gold leaf sugar flowers) at Serendipity’s.

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It is being played all over the USA right now, the video of a robber preying on a 101 year old woman and this video has caused an uproar to New York residents. New Yorkers have flooded the tip lines with leads to the mugger who beat up the Rose Morat, a Queens senior. This senseless and cowardly crime put Morat in the hospital for four days. In all, police have filtered more than 1,000 calls, many offering information that has helped them close in on a suspect, whom police also have linked to an attack on Elizee Solange, 85. Solange, who was attacked as she entered her Jamaica home, was mugged about half-a-hour after Morat was. If you have any leads about these crimes please call (800) 577-TIPS.

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