New York City awash in green for St. Patrick’s Day parade

NEW YORK — New York City was awash in green and Irish pride Friday as throngs from both sides of the pond celebrated at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The marchers came from all walks of life — military members, teachers and students, police and firefighters, politicians, plumbers and steamfitters.
“On a cold day, it warms your heart,” Richard Grogan, a marcher from Dublin and a member of Ireland’s national police service, said of the cheering crowd. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

John Brauer, a spectator from Rye, New York, got on a 5 a.m. train — both to get a good spot and because he was excited. “I don’t sleep when I know it’s St. Patrick’s Day,” he said.

Heavily armed officers kept a no-nonsense eye on security around the parade route as a pipe band played “God Bless America.”

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny marched with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He paused to greet Cardinal Timothy Dolan outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was adorned with the American and Irish flags; a special Mass was held there before the parade stepped off.

“Proud Irishman, proud Englishwoman,” said Tracy Gilmartin of Northampton, England, who was there with her husband, Joe. “Our kids have paid for us to come here today for their dad to be able to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in New York. He’s always wanted to do it.”

The couple, who decorated a police barricade with an Irish banner, said their plane was full of travelers bound for the New York parade.
The parade route also passed Trump Tower, the home of President Donald Trump and his family.

The city’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade was on March 17, 1762. That was about 14 years before the signing of America’s Declaration of Independence, organizers note, and it was comprised of “a band of homesick, Irish ex-patriots and Irish military members serving with the British Army stationed in the colonies in New York.”

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Toys'R'Us to shut flagship Times Square store

New York City is set to lose another landmark toy shop when Toys"R"Us shutters its Times Square flagship store on December 30.

The location, which boasts 110,000 square feet, will close after the toy chain declined to renew its lease, which expires in January. The store first opened in November 2001.

Closing Times Square enabled Toys"R"Us to "realize meaningful rent savings," a company representative said.

"We have not signed a lease agreement for a new location at this time, but we are actively searching for another location in Manhattan."

The company continues to operate 17 locations of Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us in the greater New York area, the representative added.

The move comes on the heels of the closing of the iconic FAO Schwarz on Fifth Avenue earlier this year.

At the time, Toys"R"Us, which owns FAO Schwarz, cited soaring real estate costs, but said it could reopen FAO Schwarz elsewhere in Manhattan at a future date.

Conventional specialty retail chains like Toys"R"Us are under pressure from general merchandise retailers like Wal-Mart and Target that sell toys, as well as from Amazon and other online stores.

On December 15, Toys"R"Us reported a loss in the third quarter of $167 million. —Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

NBA considering week-long All-Star break

MIAMI - The NBA is considering extending its annual all-star game break from three days to a full week so players have a longer mid-season rest, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Saturday.

Citing an unnamed NBA source, the newspaper reported that the plan would give players seven days off in mid-February but increase the number of back-to-back games played during the rest of the season by one or two per club.

The newspaper said the league is using the week-long gap model when planning its schedule, which will be released next month after a delay so television partners can adjust to changes such as the blockbuster move of LeBron James from Miami to Cleveland and plan accordingly.

Next year's NBA All-Star Game is set for February 13-15 in New York with events split between the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.

It would actually fall about three weeks beyond the point where most teams reach the halfway mark in their 82-game seasons.

Players have sought a longer mid-season rest, notably the elite stars whose participation in the annual all-star events mean they have no extra rest like the rank and file millionaire NBA talent.

Teams generall have five days off booked into their schedules around the break, some teams starting that period later than others to allow for games every night and time to travel to and from the host city and reconnect with club teammates.

The upcoming NBA season is set to begin October 28 and end on April 15, 2015 with the playoffs to start April 18. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Michael McKean, who portrayed the lead singer in the movie "This is Spinal Tap," was injured when he was struck by a car in New York City.
A McKean spokeswoman, Harriet Sternberg, says the actor suffered a broken leg.
Emergency officials say McKean was struck at West 86th Street and Broadway in Manhattan just before 3 p.m. Tuesday. McKean was taken to St. Luke's hospital. Police say he was in stable condition. They had no further details.
McKean also played Lenny on the hit television show "Laverne & Shirley." He's currently starring in the Broadway production of Gore Vidal's political drama, "Best Man."

article source: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Actor-Michael-McKean-struck-by-car-in-NYC-3578069.php

Lindsay Lohan Dines with Woody Allen in Manhattan

Lohan, 25, dined at Manhattan restaurant Philippe over the weekend with Woody Allen, her rep confirms to PEOPLE.

There's no word on whether Lohan, who was recently cast as Elizabeth Taylor for an upcoming Lifetime movie, has plans to work with Allen professionally – but it's probably an opportunity she would welcome.

"They had dinner together [Saturday] in New York," Lohan's rep tells PEOPLE. "Lindsay very much admires Mr. Allen."
– Liz Raftery and Liz McNeil

 source: people.com
 

New York's 9/11 Memorial

Everyone remembers where they were on the day of 9/11. For me, I was just getting into the colleges common room after rugby practice to find everyone surrounding the TV watching the dramatic events unfold. The classes were called off for the afternoon and it soon hit home that this was a world changing moment.
2 years later and I'm in New York on a studies trip. The city is a hustle and bustle and I loved seeing the sights and sounds. My friends and I decide to take a walk down to ground zero one day at the southern end of the island. The atmosphere was a far cry away from the rest of the city's vibrant personality. The silence was almost deafening, the sound of car engines and horns was non-existent except for the faint pitter-patter of footsteps on the concrete sidewalks. The buildings surrounding the site still bared the scares of the event and where shrouded in tarpaulin. Plaques and posters surrounded the site, honouring the victims and educating visitors about the history of the twin towers. It was a visit I will never forget and I assume thousands of other people felt the same.
The site now is imminently close to reopening as the 9/11 memorial park and is expected to be one of the most visited attractions in the city, reaching 10,000 guests a day. Opening a decade after the incident on September 12 this year, a ceremony will be held for the families and friends of the victims.
The memorial itself contains two square pools with cascading waterfalls where the two towers once sat whilst bronze parapets will display the names of the 2,983 people who died in the attack. The pavilion will act as a visitor centre and will show the victims stories alongside artefacts found from the ruins.
So far the demand for advanced tickets has been very high and has surpassed expectations. This is not surprising as the event which happened ten years ago affected thousands of people around the world. Many visitors may feel a personal link between themselves and the memorial and it is no doubt that this will become one of New York's latest landmarks to grace Manhattan with the visual impact compared to the likes of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.
Visitors will be able to see the memorial for themselves when it opens to the public this year.

Richard Skidmore - Online Marketing Manager
Attractiontix.co.uk - AttractionTix is the leading supplier of attraction tickets and experience days for venues across the world.

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