The New York Times blog reports that taxi drivers are up in arms after being accused of stiffing riders for millions of dollars.

It’s always interesting to see who gets upset in these situations – one wonders how many honest people would never protest and how many dishonest ones might!

This winter seems to never end, bringing yet another storm which savaged the northeast with hurricane force winds reaching upwards of 75 mph and torrential rains accumulating to 6 inches in some areas of the tri-state region. Horribly, six people were killed as hundreds of trees were uprooted by the fierce winds.

More phone calls were made to 9-1-1 than even on the worst disaster in New York’s history, the attack on the World Trade Center of September 11th, 2001. According to the reports of several eye witnesses as told to the New York Daily News,

‘“Shingles were flying off. It looked like the ‘Wizard of Oz,’” said Angela Juno, 56, a school aide at Public School 277 who lost her roof and everything that was in the top floor of her home in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn.
‘Andrew Gottlieb, 27, of Marine Park, Brooklyn, moved his 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe to a safer spot after a small tree fell on it. He awoke to find it crushed by a second, larger tree. “What are the odds of this happening?” he asked.’

Electric service was also interrupted for many hours in many places, Staten Island being the worst-off. In some hardest hit areas there might not be restoration of power for some until the end of the week, according to a spokesman for Con Edison.

Intense Wind and Rain Blast the New York Region – NYTimes.com

A combination of driving winds and intense rains left hundreds of thousands without power and created serious obstacles to traveling distances both short and long around the New York metropolitan area on Saturday. Earlier in the day, gusts of more than 60 miles per hour reportedly contributed to two deaths, fanned a severe fire that destroyed historic homes on the Jersey Shore and knocked buildings to the ground.

All around the New York area we’ve been hit by storms of near-Biblical proportions, leaving homes without electricity and, it’s believed, two dead as a result of a falling tree.
Good wishes to all our readers; let’s hope that the next few days brings us some calm.

Doing some research into the cultural trends in New York one can see certain ones beginning to surface more frequently than others. As more and more New Yorkers find themselves fixed in front of their Internet browser a resulting phenomenon seems to be happening. The City most known for its attractive populace seems to be gaining weight.

One can be straight forward and suggest getting up and doing some exercise. This could be followed by cutting down on overall Internet use, which most experts agree is a great way to keep real relationships going as well as giving your body more physical activity it needs.
Then again New Yorkers are not known to change course easily. One can always try to look fashionable by changing their wardrobe. Flowing skirts or shirts with a little more room might be just the option that is needed. Then again if one is already going after some new clothes, why not just invest in some Kymaro products. Of course that would mean putting off getting into shape altogether with the hope that your New York night life is reduced to some quiet cafes or some night time strolls along the Brooklyn Promenade.

In a move disappointing to the city of New York but a relief to residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the Gowanus Canal, the Environmental Protection Agency designated the 1.8 mile canal a Superfund site, whose clean-up will now be supervised by the Federal Government.

The city is afraid that the Superfund label could trigger legal battles with those polluting the canal, unnecessarily prolong the dredging of the canal, and scare away future developers because of the stigma surrounding the Superfund label.
On the other hand, according to Judith A. Enck, the E.P.A. regional administrator, designation of Superfund status assures the best possible results for the residents, the environment and guarantees that the tap will be picked up by the parties responsible for the pollution of the canal.

The EPA estimates the clean-up operation will take between 10 and 12 years at a cost of $300 to $500 million, compared to the city’s estimated nine years for the clean-up.

“It was the right thing to do,” said Marlene Donnelly, a leader of the neighborhood group Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus. “It’s the beginning of a plan to start the restorative process for the Gowanus area.”

“But we are going to work closely with the E.P.A. because we share the same goal: a clean canal,” he added.

It’s not easy finding the time to eat nutritiously when one’s life centers around riding the subway to work and then spending hours in front of a computer screen as so many New Yorkers have accustomed themselves to doing. To make matters worse lunch break often results in plenty of indulgence since food choices range from any of the fast food falafel or gyro venders (that congregate outside of the vast multitude of Mid-Town Manhattan office buildings) to upscale restaurants that are anything but healthy.

It’s true that one solution is packing a lunch from home, but that just isn’t trendy and it can be down right time consuming. Another option is to locate some of the more “green cafes” that have begun to sprout up (pardon the pun) in many areas of Manhattan. This is a trendy option and one where as time goes on can be made into a regular foray for lunch time outings.

It’s true not everyone can stomach raw, vegan or even just a meatless lunch, so a third and probably just as plausible an option is nutritional supplements like the kinds that Mannatech offers. It may not be trendy or “socially cool” but it will save time and give a lot in the long run.

The New York Times reports that the NYC police department is ordering that parades be shortened in order to save taxpayer money! Sounds like  a good idea to me…

Interestingly it seems its not the length of the Parade that matters most to people. The Macy’s Day Parade on Thanksgiving is actually just about 2 hours, making it a small hog of police resources, even though it is arguably the biggest parade event associated with New York.

So sometimes less is more!

Bloomberg News reported today that we have received about double of the yearly snowfall – and the snow is still falling.

Apparently Global Warming doesn’t mean there’s less snow in the winter – it seems that when warm air hits cold air that actually leads to more snow!

Stay warm!

While the economy is still on the downside and home sales are not yet bouncing back, there are a number of realtors in the New York area who are making it work for them.  Here, we feature 10 real estate personalities with great backgrounds and results. In today’s market, only the best real estate marketers are finding success.  Especially in a competitive market like New York, you’ve got to have something special to be making it.

Gregg Rand is the managing partner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Rand Realty in New York’s Hudson Valley.  In 2009 he switched from his longtime brand affiliate to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate to keep the company relevant and customer oriented.

Allen Rothman is the Senior Vice President of Halstead Property, LLC.  They are located on Columbus Avenue in New York City. His background as an attorney specializing in real estate law makes him a valuable asset to Halstead Property, LLC.

Michael Shvo is an exceptional, young New York real estate marketing expert.  He believes that real estate should be marketed in a similar vein as other high end items and should have great attention to customer experience and service, comprehensive marketing, and massive market research.  He develops high-end residential properties throughout the New York area and across the world.

Dolly Lenz is a high profile broker for Prudential Douglas Elliman.  From New York herself, Dolly has become one of the best paid realtors in the business today, and she’s a bit of a colorful real estate celebrity as well.

Keith McNally isn’t a real estate agent, but he’s certainly had his influence on the real estate market in New York.  Formerly a bell hop, he’s now a restaurateur extraordinaire, helping to turn neighborhoods over and to create their renaissance with his eateries.  He has his eyes set on reviving Greenwich Village at the moment with his Minetta Tavern.

David Levinson founded L&L Holding Co. in 2005, a firm that owns and manages a portfolio that includes 5 million square feet of property.

Joseph Sitt of Principal Thor Equities has his fingers in the Coney Island amusement district.  He’s hoping to create a new, modern Vegas on the Atlantic – we’ll see if it actually happens.

Connie Milstein is a Principal and Co-Founder of a New York City property management and development company called Ogden CAP Properties.  She is an important person to know in the New York real estate world, as she is also a Governor of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY).

Sam Chung is the President of the McSam Hotel Group.  He is New York City’s most prolific developer of hotels.

Darcy Stacom is a flashy, successful New York real estate mogul.  She is considered to be one of the city’s top investment sales brokers who was born in New York and raised in Greenwich.

A reader just pointed out to us a great source for absolutely free items – Craig’s List.

Now, I recommend that you proceed with caution – don’t meet the given in any dark alleys – and make sure that Free really means free – but check this out

These are some treasures on offer for Free at Craigs List New York now:

• 6.5 ft artificial Christmas Tree in Briarwood (just in time!)
• 30 gallon fish tank with a red slide turtle in Staten Island (hi, is this turtle big enough for a meal?)
• 27″ GE Color TV (East Village)
• A cat (Canarsie)

Aside from that there are a lot of matresses and futons and some people claiming to have sports tickets.

Happy shopping this weekend!