DRINK: The raucous and ribald cabaret duo Kiki & Herb may be on semi-hiatus, but they’re resurfacing tonight for a very special ‘Eclectic Salon’ event at Bottlerocket, the “dog and child friendly” wine shop in the Flatiron district. It's not exactly clear what kind of performance is planned tonight, but the boozy surroundings are sure to provide ample inspiration. Playfully dubbed “The Year of Magical Drinking,” the evening features free wine tastings to wash......

MOVIE: As the Oscars approach, take a look back at one of the past films to be granted a golden statue. Tonight Agatha Christie's classic mystery Murder on the Orient Express leaps from the page to the big screen when the 1974 movie is shown at Film Forum. Starring Ingrid Bergman, Lauren Bacall and Anthony Perkins, the movie will help you hone your crime-solving skills (and possibly make you think twice about taking Amtrak).......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a missing child on 8th Ave. in Manhattan, a double shooting at Bedford Ave. and Empire Blvd. in Brooklyn, and a water rescue at Broadway and West 8th St. in Brooklyn.A map of the NYC subway system with a realistic portrayal of which stops are available to handicapped people and/or people with strollers who can't navigate stairs.Those rent-to-own centers that people take advantage of every year near the Super Bowl?......

timely, by jakedobkin at flickr Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an unconscious baby on Ralph Ave. in Brooklyn, a construction accident on Bedford Ave. and Crown St. in Brooklyn, and a found grenade at 54th Ave. and Junction Blvd. in Queens. Dave Chappelle made an unannounced appearance at a comedy club, where Radar learned he "took the stage at approximately 12:30 a.m. and didn't leave until club management turned off the lights at 4:20......

PARTY: Though we were sad to see former editor, Colleen Kane, depart the media mothership of maleness, Playgirl magazine...the show must go on. Tonight come celebrate their January issue and their 2008 centerfold calender...all at once. Free booze and gift bags for all! 7 to 10pm // Happy Ending [302 Broome St] // Free THEATER: For “sophisticated literate slapstick, big on laughs highbrow and low,” Culturebot recommends 500 Clown Frankenstein. Although the cast is 497......

Haru: The Japanese mini-chain’s takeover of New York is proceeding according to plan with the opening of their latest location in the financial district. The elegant, bi-level space (pictured) is located in the landmark 1903 Beaver Building, which calls to mind a mini-Flatiron Building. This location features two floors of dining to accommodate 160 guests, a 17 seat sushi bar, a second “alcohol” bar and two private party rooms. Like the other Harus, the extensive......

EVENT: White Castle is sponsoring an "over the top" (heh) event today at Port Authority...it's the 30th Annual White Castle Empire State Golden Arm Tournament of Champions. Over 100 ladies and gents will face off to become the arm wrestling champ! The event starts at 12:30 and the finals begin at 3:30pm. More info here. 12:30 and 3:30pm // Port Authority Bus Terminal [North Wing/Main Concourse at 625 8th Ave] // Free MUSIC: The Scotland......

FAIR: The International vintage poster fair has arrived. It's time to take that ironic velvet Elvis off the wall and class up your joint. The fair will include "over 25 international dealers with more than 10,000 original vintage posters." More info here. Friday 5 - 9 pm , Saturday 10 am - 7 pm, Sunday 11 am - 6 pm // Metropolitan Pavilion [123 W 18th St 5th floor] // $15 MUSIC: We'll be at......

ART: Secrets of Coney Island Creek opens at the Brooklyn Public Library tonight. The exhibit of photographs by photog/author/Coney Island native Charles Denson goes back to the 1960s "when the waterway was at a low point, surrounded by industry and suffering from neglect and pollution. Since then, portions of the creek have been reclaimed, drawing both wildlife and residents to its shores. The photographs in Secrets of Coney Island Creek document those early decades and......

MOVIE: The monthly "Monday Nights with Oscar" screens teenage screamfest Carrie tonight. Was anything redacted from this Brian DePalma flick? Ask him yourself, he'll be on hand to discuss the 1976 classic he directed. 7:30pm // Academy Theater [111 E 59th St] // $5 THEATER: Theater group New Georges primarily produces new work by female playwrights; their current production is Good Heif by Maggie Smith. Set in a “hot, dry landscape”, it probes the twisted......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on 155th Ave. and 79th St. in Queens, a bank robbery at the Chase branch on De Kalb and Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn, and a pedestrian struck at Hunts Point and Lafayette Aves. in the Bronx. The Guggenheim sent out a postcard inviting people to a seminar about Andy Warhol. The message on the reverse side is expletive-laced and describes Warhol and his fans in derogatory terms......

EVENTS: Both Open House NY and The New Yorker Festival are upon us. You can check out more of OHNY's event here, and The New Yorker Festival here. Some picks: The New Yorker Festival hosts a conversation with Errol Morris tonight. He'll be talking with staff writer Philip Gourevitch about Abu Ghraib, with clips shown from Standard Operating Procedure -- his new film is a study of the prison-abuse scandal. Friday // 8pm // Directors......

READING: It's the first Tuesday of the month, which means...there's a Sci-Fi reading! "Now In its 19th year, the New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series has showcased some of the most prominent and upcoming authors in the genre. However, the series' commitment to providing a venue as an ongoing science fiction reading series in New York City, is open to all works of speculative fiction, whether they be works of fantasy, magical realism,......

Billyburgers and lovers of giant sandwiches rejoice. Papa Lima is the newest meat-and-cheese stacking sandwich shop in the neighborhood (Bedford & S. 4th) that offers pre-named sandwich combinations of a free-spirited sensibility ("The Pablo Honey," The Dodger," "The Hunter & The Hunted"), and myriad ingredients for create-your-own combos that stops no short of black truffle butter. All of Papa Lima's produce comes from the local greenmarkets, fresh breads from Tom Cat Bakery, pickles from......

EVENT: We're sponsoring, and our publisher is hosting, the NYC Photobloggers event tonight. Come over to the Apple Store to see a dazzling display of digital images and the faces behind the photos: Eliot Shepard, Jay Parkinson (yes, that Jay Parkinson) and a whole lot more will be on hand. There will also be a special presentation by Jen Bekman of 20x200, Hey Hot Shot, and the Jen Bekman Gallery and an after party at......

THEATER: The fall theater season gets curiouser and curiouser with the start of The Alice in Wonderland Puppet Festival at HERE. (The festival, which is not recommended for children under twelve, will feature a tea party after every show.) Tonight curiouser & curiouser fuses text from Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll’s diary entries and his muse Alice Liddell’s memoirs to try to decipher what destroyed their unique friendship. - John Del......

Brick Oven Gallery is the kind of laid-back off-Bedford Ave. pizza joint that makes the perfect start for a night out in Williamsburg. Situated on an otherwise-residential block of Havermeyer Street (between N. 7th & N. 8th), Brick Oven Gallery is a one room pizza parlor with a century-old brick oven that pumps out superbly thin pies with myriad toppings. An outdoor garden sits at the back of a lot and provides less ambiance......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a water rescue off the beach at 105th St. and Shore Front Parkway in Queens, a person struck by a train at 77th St. and 4th Ave. in Brooklyn, and a shooting at Martin Luther King Pl. and Tompkins Ave. in Brooklyn. A middle-aged man was arrested Sunday evening after attempting to rob a McDonald's on Staten Island, but settling for ripping the clear acrylic box of donations for......

MUSIC: Ever wonder what former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp has been up to? Well, he's back fronting his other old band, The Rentals. With a long list of former members, amongst them Maya Rudolph and Petra Haden, the group is now six-strong, and playing Nokia Theater tonight in support of their new EP, The Last Little Life. 8pm // Nokia Theatre [1515 Broadway] // $22.50 Over at Sound Fix Camera Obscura will be serving a......

MOVIE: Bryant Park ends their summer of big screen fun with the classic horror flick Psycho - the movie that made many afraid to shower (and probably scared to check-in to hotels). Bring your best scream...and a blanket. 5pm lawn opens, movie at sundown // Bryant Park // Free EVENT: Listen up vinylphiles, Shakey's Record Fair is tonight and will be the only place in town where you can find that rarity you so desperately......

THEATER: With his zany imagination and distinctive bass-baritone voice, Joseph Keckler (myspace) has been generating buzz throughout the gooey honeycomb of the downtown performance art cabaret scene. Tonight he sprinkles his particular blend of whimsical catnip at Dixon Place with Cat Lady, in which a man re-enacts an ordinary day with his mother, who runs a community theater with cat actors out of her home. “Past lives are recalled, songs are sung, and finally a......

John Vanderslice's reputation as "the nicest guy in indie rock" couldn't be more spot on. Last night we enjoyed some time with him on the roof of the Hotel Chelsea where he sang us a 'lil song. You'll be seeing video of that later, but first - get to know the man behind the reputation. He'll be at Sound Fix tonight at 7pm for a free show, and he was also kind enough to provide......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a person under a train at West 31st St. and 7th Ave. in Manhattan (the 1 line), a triple shooting on Elder Ave. in the Bronx, and an unconscious baby on Hylan Blvd. on Staten Island. The used anti-tank weapon that a NJ woman found on her front lawn was traced to a Marine, who had thrown the missile tube in the trash. A white-painted "ghost bike" memorial for......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on East Tremont Ave. in the Bronx, two pedestrians struck on 42nd St. and 11th Ave. in Manhattan and one is likely dead, and another bank robbery on Myrtle Ave. in Brooklyn. A Queens car thief's plan of taking a dealer's SUV for a test drive and kicking the salesman out of the car would have worked beautifully if he hadn't surrendered his actual driver's license......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a brush fire at 165th Ave. and Crossbay Blvd. in Queens, a stabbing on Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn, and hazardous material reported at 86th and 1st Ave. in Manhattan. A Credit Suisse First Boston banker faces up to 20 years in prison and $14 million in fines after he and a co-conspiritor were arrested for insider trading. Preservationist irony: Brooklyn's epic-sized grain terminal in Red Hook will remain a......

Real estate prices getting you down? When you realize that the $1300 you're forking over for rent results in an apartment the size of a shoebox, where are you to turn? In the case of a Brooklyn man, you buy a bread truck. That's what Angel Hess did last year and where he's been living with his girlfriend Theresa Magario since October. Hess bought the truck for $2,500 on eBay and drove the car back......

CarFreeBedford, the site dedicated to removing automobiles from the main stretch of Williamsburg, has put up some pretty new renderings. The plan calls for the complete banning of automobiles on the stretch of Bedford Ave starting at Metropolitan Avenue and passing through and ending at McCarren park. The cross streets would be left open to cars and trucks in order to allow for necessary deliveries. The current traffic as well as the B61 bus......

MUSIC: Doug Martsch of Built to Spill performs a stripped down acoustic set tonight before heading over to Irving to play with the band. This will be pretty amazing, so even if you missed out on tickets to the show at Irving, try to catch him solo. 5pm // Sound Fix [110 Bedford Ave, Williamsburg] // Free READINGS: At Strand tonight, Joseph Steiglitz with his new book Making Globalization Work, the sequel to Globalization and......

When we first read that the Landmarks Preservation Commission was taking steps to preserve the stately mansions, row houses and churches of Crown Heights North, we weren't all that surprised. After all, the area's 19th and 20th century architectural gems span at least four distinct styles: Georgian/Federal; Renaissance/Baroque Revival; Romanesque Revival and Modern/Art Deco/Art Moderne. When we visited recently, the day was clear, if hot, and the streets were quiet. First, we took in......

It's just like the MTA to problem solve a couple years after the problem starts. The NYC Transit Authority will be adding more trains to the L line because the current, snazzy R143 line is "not enough" to serve the masses of people. The TA will have to figure out how to make the signals work with both the current, (relatively) high-tech R143s and the old cars (maybe the slant R40s?), and that could......