cityfile

A Few Simple Rules for NYC's New Taxi-Share Program

Brian Moylan · 02/22/10 03:52PM

The TLC is introducing some newfangled way to share taxi cabs during rush hour. Clearly, we're going to have to come up with some sort of social contract to make these cheap rides bearable. Here is a good start.

Gawker EIC Fired in CityFile Acquisition

Gabriel Snyder · 02/15/10 04:21PM

Okay, this is weird. But here are two internal memos. One affecting me, the other by me. Nick has just announced that Gawker's acquiring CityFile. As part of that deal, I'm losing my job. Now that they are out there, may as well put them here. So that you have them:

cityfile · 02/12/10 05:59PM

[Photo via Flickr]

Duane Reade Now Has Sushi to Sell You

cityfile · 02/12/10 05:03PM

Some Duane Reade locations are now selling sushi, which means it's now technically possible to pick up deodorant, aspirin, and California Rolls at the same time. You probably shouldn't take advantage of this new luxury, though, says a ridiculously brave Village Voice staffer who sampled the drugstore's selection of raw fish so you don't ever have to: "There is no earthly reason to ever, ever, ever buy sushi at Duane Reade." Okay then! [VV]

Misdirected Mail, Volume II

cityfile · 02/12/10 04:41PM

People occasionally us bizarre messages that they think they're sending to someone we've profiled on the site. Why do they do that? We really don't know. But they do! Earlier, we shared a few messages we've received recently. Another bunch is below.

cityfile · 02/12/10 04:30PM

• NBC's coverage of the Winter games began on somber note today. [LAT]
Vogue's on a roll! Not only was Tina Fey's scar airbrushed off the cover of the March issue, the mag screwed up the letter sent out to promote it, too.
Harold Ford has taken a leave of absence as a political analyst for NBC while he decides whether to try and carpetbag his way to a Senate seat. [NYO]
Ellen DeGeneres is the new Oprah Winfrey, apparently. [NYT]
Project Runway contestants showed their work at Fashion Week today. [AP]
• Madonna will make a rare TV appearance as a "marriage referee" on Jerry Seinfeld's forthcoming reality show. Here's hoping she won't be asked to dispense advice on how to keep a marriage together. [Reuters]
• On the off chance you're interested in taking part in a reality TV show, you may wish to note that there's now a job board for that very purpose. [Wrap]
• Is 82-year-old Condé Nast boss Si Newhouse a Lady Gaga fan? Indeed! [P6]

Mort Zuckerman May Run For Senate

cityfile · 02/12/10 04:02PM

Mort Zuckerman's futile effort to keep up with Mike Bloomberg continues! The real estate developer and Daily News owner—who considered making a bid for BusinessWeek last fall when he heard Bloomberg L.P. was in the running before dropping out of the running—is now thinking about following in his frenemy's footsteps and getting into politics. According to the Times, Zuckerman is considering a run against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand this fall, and just like Bloomberg he's prepared to run as a Republican so he can avoid an expensive and messy Democratic primary. Another egocentric, diminutive billionaire media mogul determined to create a lasting legacy for himself with a second career in politics? Just what New York needs! [NYT]

Women Earning More, Men Sulking More

cityfile · 02/12/10 03:10PM

As a society, we've come so far: Men can use stripping as a path to stardom, and women can assuage their mid-life crises by dating pretty young things. Sadly, though, one cornerstone of the patriarchy remains: If a wife earns more than her husband, he'll probably find that, well, a major boner-killer. It's a problem that's plaguing more and more relationships, since 75 percent of the people who lost their jobs during the recession were men. And if you're married to one of those men, then the rent-a-quote psychologists on the Daily News' speed-dial feel sorry for you:

Misdirected Mail, Volume I

cityfile · 02/12/10 01:44PM

People often send us messages that they intended to send to a person profiled on Cityfile. They see the "Tips" box next to a particular profile and assume that's the perfect way to get in touch with some celebrity, politician, fashion designer, real estate mogul, or CEO, and off they go! As you can probably imagine, some of the messages are pretty amusing. A few selections below (with names blacked out to protect the innocent):

The Madoffs Aren't Out of the Woods Yet

cityfile · 02/12/10 11:23AM

We haven't heard much about the Madoff clan the past few months. That's not because the feds grew bored and decided to give up. They've been quietly assembling a case against Bernie's brother (Peter) and two sons (Andy and Mark), and may eventually charge them with tax fraud for using Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities as their "personal piggy bank":

Women as Shallow as Men, Says Dating Site

cityfile · 02/12/10 11:09AM

You might imagine that, after scanning guys' dating profiles, women would be turned off by the douche who's so proud of his gym-honed abs that he poses shirtless. But scientifically-collated data begs to differ: Dating site OKCupid has found that men whose profile photos include a shirtless shot get more responses—but only if they're the proud possessors of a six-pack. Otherwise, it's best to unveil your flabby love handles in person, duh.

Culture of Fear Inflames Financial News Wires

Ryan Tate · 02/12/10 09:43AM

Bloomberg News staffers no longer have the market on fear and loathing cornered: Informants tell us that high-stakes monitoring of reporters' performance has poisoned the atmosphere at Reuters and the Associated Press business desk, too.