Safe
• Crime is drastically down so far this year, with the city on track to set a record in 2007: the fewest murders since the police began keeping track in the sixties. An NYU prof credits an NYPD program that sends crowds of rookie cops to bad neighborhoods — and those rookie cops would be the ones they’re now paying $25k. [NYDN]
• Is Joe Bruno the Alan Hevesi of the sky? The state’s top Republican is under investigation for allegedly steering state contracts to associates; now Spitzer is threatening to look into Bruno’s use of state aircraft — and police escorts — to fly to fund-raisers in New York City. [NYP]
• Those new New York City condoms hit 100 of New York’s 325 senior centers last week. The remaining 225 centers — save for seven apparently run by prudes — will get their rubbers this week, along with pamphlets on HIV prevention. [NYP]
• Bloomberg’s new noise code went into effect yesterday. See, isn’t the city nice and quiet now? [NYT]
• And A-Rod’s wife wore a tank top to yesterday’s game bearing the words “Fuck You” on the back. Perhaps it would have been better to convey this message at home? [NYP]
the industry
Prince to Give It Away in the U.K.Prince’s new album, Planet Earth, will be given away for free in British newspapers this summer, angering British music retailers, who had hoped to sell the album in exchange for British money, which is called “pounds” instead of “dollars.”
Openings
Silent H Not Deaf to New York’s Pleas for Vietnamese“I don’t miss anything about California except Mexican food and Vietnamese food,” says Vinh Nguyen, a onetime UCLA premed who fell into the hospitality business as a bar back at Santa Monica’s legendary Father’s Office. Since moving east three years ago, Nguyen has found New York’s Vietnamese options sorely lacking, especially when compared to the home cooking of his mother, an immigrant who left school at 9 to sell street food in Hue. The problem, as he sees it, is laundry-list menus that are too hit-or-miss, combined with “atmospheres” defined by single-white-napkin dispensers and dirty bathrooms.
reviews
Fashion Report Card: Critics Love Jacobs, De la Renta, Herrera, DVF
New York’s biggest shows have kicked off, and the reviews are pouring in. What did the critics think of Marc’s hats? Did Oscar go overboard with the astrakhan? Is Carolina’s edgy new direction too much? And what about all that fur?
new york fugging city
Celebrities Tabled at Betsey Johnson
Once we saw the Reverend Al Sharpton at the Baby Phat show on Friday, we figured we’d hit our man-of-the-cloth quota. We thought many things in those balmy days, but never did we guess that Rev. Run of Run DMC would glide into our lives during today’s Betsey Johnson show.
Joan of Arcadia star Amber Tamblyn seemed just as surprised and thrilled, sidling up to Rev. Run for a photo a request he granted by wrapping his most-holy arm around her. Then, looking especially, well, reverend, in solemn black garb and that kicky hat, he settled into his seat at the end of the runway next to his brother, Russell Simmons, to great applause and cheers from the photographers’ pen. He proceeded to grin so enthusiastically at the models that one even giggled and did a few extra shimmies. Who can blame her?
show & tell
Paris and Kimora to Form Two-Woman Wrecking CrewCould anyone be more excited for tonight’s Heatherette show than Paris Hilton and Kimora Lee Simmons? Apparently not. We’re hearing the pair has demanded that the W Lounge — the area behind the Bryant Park tents where everyone goes to decompress — be completely cleared out for an hour before showtime, in order to allow them the space and privacy they need to change into their outfits. Will they be partying together at Roseland later? If so, we recommend you run for cover — and take pictures. And send them to us.
Update: Britney Spears is confirmed for Heatherette. If only Lindsay Lohan wasn’t in rehab…
party town
Rolling and Reading• Rolling With Style gala. Cipriani, 110 E. 42nd St., nr. Vanderbilt Ave., 6:30 p.m. Fashion Week continues to suck the biggest names away from the gala circuit, but Carol Alt and Nick Cannon are expected. Nothing against Nick Cannon, but it’s amusing that the most highly approved sample usage of his name in the Urban Dictionary is “One time Nick Cannon made a joke that was almost funny … just kidding, it was terrible.”
• Because She Can book party. At a private residence on Greene Street. (If you really want to try and crash it, head to Soho and follow the smell of catered appetizers.) Because She Can is the roman à clef by former ReganBooks employee Bridie Clark. Now that Judith Regan, Anna Wintour, and Harvey Weinstein have all gotten the thinly-veiled-fictional-tyrant treatment, it’s clear there’s only one notoriously psychotic boss left to be exposed: this guy.
Or check out all our Agenda listings for tonight, selected by New York’s culture editors.
grub street
On Super Bowl Sunday, Spotted Pig Staff Partied Like It Was 1999
Where does Spotted Pig owner Ken Friedman hold his holiday party? Not at the Spotted. When does he hold it? Not during the holiday season. And what does he serve? More food that you can imagine. This past Sunday — Super Bowl Sunday — Friedman threw a belated holiday party for his Pig staff at Del Posto, another eatery owned by part Pig owner Mario Batali. The feast was one of Dionysian excess — a roasted pig, mac ‘n’ cheese with black truffles, innumerable apps, cake “served by scantily clad babes.” Rob and Robin have the complete menu — plus photos! — at Grub Street.
Batali Helps Devise Insane Feast for Spotted Pig Staff [Grub Street]
party lines
Following the Leopard-Print Thongs to the Marc Jacobs PartyThe Marc Jacobs after-party apparently started well before the gargantuan crowd made its way to Eugene. During our half-hour mosey out of the Armory, Seth Meyers tugged on our elbow and pointed down. “What is a pair of underwear doing on the ground?” We never found out. But if you lost a leopard-print thong last night, you know where to look.