Meanwhile, in New York City: The National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site opened today to the public. According to Gothamist, who made an appearance at this morning's somber opening, "Admission is free, but you need to sign up online for reservations, which are almost completely snatched up through the end of October." Here are some images from this morning's press tour, before the gates officially opened to the public. more ›

On the other coast today, Hurricane Irene prompted mandatory evacuations along coastal areas in New York City. This includes Brooklyn's Coney Island and Manhattan Beach, Broad Channel in Queens, South Beach, Midland Beach, areas on Staten Island, and Manhattan's Battery Park City. more ›

Momofuku chef David Chang is in hot water again. This time for taking to Twitter with his sassy ways to rail against Serious Eats scribe J. Kenji Lopez-Alt who bemoaned the chef for charging $5 for a Coca-Cola. The nerve. Gothamist explains: more ›

Muni Diaries brings out attention to Atomic Tom performing a ditty on a NYC subway using their phones. Yes, it's New York City-based. Calm thyself. But, with the use of iPhones, it's also Cupertino-based. more ›

After a long debate this morning, the New York State Senate voted 38-24 against a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Openly gay State Senator Thomas K. Duane of Manhattan said, "This legislation would merely provide me and tens of thousands of other New Yorkers with equal rights in New York State. It would make me equal in every way to everyone else in this chamber." Read more about yet another defeat for civil rights in the U.S. over at Gothamist. Get up-to-the minute alerts on California marriage equality over at Stop8.org. more ›

Although the mystique and innovation of New York City has dimmed over the last few years -- what was once, as countless New Yorkers have described it to us, a mecca for richly-textured thought and poeples has now revealed itself as simply a large museum city brimming with tell-it-like-it-is-esque reality show contestant types -- the food culture there is as popular as ever. Even the chefs there still think of themselves as rock stars. Which is adorable. more ›

While hovering helicopters for TV shows alarm Bay Area residents, think about folks in downtown Manhattan who spotted a low-flying plane being tailed by fighter jets. Some buildings were evacuated while others told employees they were staying put—and then the FAA explained "the Defense Department is conducting a photo op that involves deploying two F-16s and escorting a Boeing 747 in the vicinity of Lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty... the maneuver was not an emergency and was coordinated in advance with the FAA and state and local officials." (The Boening 747 was one of the planes that the President uses, but President Obama was not on board.) Of course, the warning from NYC government came right at the same time as the maneuver, not in advance, because the feds apparently didn't want the flight to be disclosed. So, this is clearly a Department of Defense FAIL, right? Update: NYC Mayor Bloomberg is "furious" (apparently he didn't know about the flyover!) and now t he White House has apologized. more ›

These are the worst kind of people in the world, all together in one class. You will want to put your face through a window after watching this video. And then chew your thumbs off. And then bathe in a tub of Clorox. For six hours. Really, this is the Internet at its worst, when people see fame as an end, rather than a means to create and spread good and/or interesting content. more ›

All over the news today -- KRON 4 reported that geese were injured in the accident -- a plane has crashed in the Hudson River over in NYC. After taking off, the plane was scheduled to head to Seattle after Charlotte. The Coast Guard says about 60 passengers were in the water after the crash, but al of them were rescued. Read and see more about it over at Gothamist. more ›

While it's still a notably safe (albeit coma-inducing) city, San Jose, unfairly maligned as the armpit of California, was ranked below New York City recently when it comes to safety. According to last year's FBI crime statistics, San Jose came in behind Honolulu, El Paso, and New York City as the country's safest city. San Jose Councilman Sam Liccardo claims, "When it comes to sexual assaults, murders, crimes of a very violent and predatory nature, San Jose is clearly a very safe city relative to its peers." But when Bart opens its much-needed arm down to Santa Clara, we imagine their crime stats will rise. more ›

Last night, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people gathered for a protest outside the Church of Latter Day Saints' Manhattan Mormon Temple and march down Broadway to Columbus Circle. more ›

Just a few days before people were performing fellatio in the streets of San Francisco, New York City's famed Naked Cowboy was arrested in Union Square. Sporting a cowboy hat, a guitar, and some "skin-tight underpants" (hey, that's technically not naked!), Robert Burck was picked up by SFPD for "performing his act in a restricted area." Burck, according to reports, was ticked for violating "rules posted in Union Square against soliciting and playing an instrument."(Whew. Way to keep the streets of SF safe, SFPD!) Burck is due in court today. more ›

• Gothamist found that an explosive set off outside the Times Square army recruiting center may be similar to five past bombings in New York City.
• Seattlest worried when severed right feet and bottles of rat poison started washing up on local beaches.
• Shanghaiist was surprised by Bjork's rooting for Tibetan independence at her concert (see video), and the political fallout has only just begun.
• SFist debated the merits of new bronze plaques that will be placed in locations where San Francisco's homeless have died.
• DCist was obliged to respond to the worst Washington Post Outlook column ever published, in which conservative writer Charlotte Allen tried to make the case that women are dumb.
• LAist found Satan's ice cream truck trolling the streets, and they recorded the music.
• Some crafty Torontoist readers didn't like the dearth of ski hills in downtown Toronto, so they just built one of their own on their deck and (of course) recorded a video of them all taking turns on it.
• Bostonist knows the city's subway and bus system, the MBTA, has problems. So does this 17-year-old who submitted a report and told the MBTA brass how to fix it.
• Phillyist explored the possibility of an Ivy League prostitute, while their commenters debated the most ethical approach to proving or debunking the story.
• Londonist spent a little too much time looking at airbrushed operatic private parts, and enjoyed an enlightening comment from someone who was there. more ›

Offices in Capitol Hill received a manila envelope with a letter claiming responsibility for today's bombing of a landmark military recruiting station in Times Square, NYC. Our parent site, Gothamist, tells us that "WNBC reports that the letters, which arrived today, included a photo of the Army recruiting center 'before it was bombed and...the words 'We did it.'" Which group is claiming responsibility, exactly, remains to be known. more ›

Image credit: Nature abhors a vacuum more ›

more ›

Festishizing that "authentic, old-school New York experience," Adam Fisher moved to NYC to frolic with hipsters, sing selections from Rent, or snap his fingers to the jazzy beats along with the other bohemian artists when he moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn. Unfortunately, his time there was a bit too real. Severely beaten and mugged of $28 while at the Morgan Avenue L subway station, Fisher hightails it back to his hometown, San Francisco. In his jarring piece for New York Magazine ("The Bleeding Edge"), he goes into graphic detail and explains his move back West. more ›

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on SFist. more ›

more ›

San Francisco's musical offerings were bountiful Wednesday night ranging from Film School to Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings to The Thermals. It seems, though, that most of you made the correct choice: Vampire Weekend. Now we don't doubt that the other shows weren't amazing -- we were pretty miffed that there were so many choices on one night -- but clearly if you are anybody then you were wearing a blue pin-striped shirt, dark... more ›

If you've noticed a gazillion error messages in SFist comments over the last few days, you're not alone -- our technology team way over in the far off of New York City is working to fix the problem as we speak, as it's affecting the entire -ist Network. We appreciate your patience while they implement a solution as quickly as possible. more ›

-- Cinewhores Present Midnight Cowboy (1970): Although tame by today's smut-filled standards -- oh, you heard right! -- Midnight Cowboy has the distinction of being the only X-rated film to have ever snagged the Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film -- about the friendship between Joe, a rookie New York City hustler, and Ratso, a terminally-ill New Yorker -- is prefaced by a reading by queer author Kirk Read. (Oh, and Sylvia Miles is simply fucking awesome in Midnight Cowboy.) Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at ATA; $5-$20 (all donations go to benefiting the St. James Infirmary.) more ›

Tonight, for one night only, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts will be featuring two sneak previews of Dirty Country, a highly entertaining documentary about the underground world of raunchy music, directed by Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, founders and hosts of the Found Footage Festival, which sold out four shows at the Red Vic last month. Dirty Country, which won the Audience Award at this year's South By Southwest, is part of Yerba... more ›

And speaking of New York, The Front Steps has a battle brewing over whether to live in New York City or San Francisco. (Naturally, we choose more modern SF. While we heart NY with its thin pizzas, tall and aggressive men, supposed sparkling conversation, and phenomenal buildings, California, as they used to say, totally shreds. And, as we've mentioned before, anything east of [the] 5 freeway petrifies us.) more ›

-- Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers: Not only does this "Basie-esque" outfit perform lush jazz and blues tunes, but the chanteuse is pretty funny in between songs. Check them out tonight at 7 p.m. at the Top of the Mark, InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel, One Nob Hill, (999 California); $10. more ›

Hey, all you singles in San Francisco/Oakland, looks like you live in the right place. Our fair city was tops in Forbes 7th Annual Best Cities for Singles Report. more ›

Beloved Jennine from The Coveted writes here about how this year’s San Francisco Fashion Week denied her and other bloggers precious invitations to cover the event or (worse) any of its VIP, open-bar parties. Enough to drop your coke bullet into the toilet, right?! more ›

This week ended with the launch of the seventh and final Harry Potter installation. But while the world was consumed with Pottermania, it's important to remember that there were more serious things going on in the world, too - two of them in -Ist cities. more ›

Coming in at a respectable number two, Forbes Magazine named San Francisco the second best spot to park your yuppie ass. As if you didn’t already know that. (Although we’re puzzled at the hair-pulling about this reality by many in SF; liberal/progressive and yuppie lifestyles are not mutually exclusive. Not by the longest shot.) more ›

-- Writers With Drinks not only boasts an awesome substance-abuse party, but overlaps it with readings from some of your favorite local and national (that is to say, usually New York City- or LA-based) scribes and novelists. Who knew writers like to drink? more ›