When Lexington Avenue Attacks!
If you’ve always wondered what it might look like if the mild-mannered street in front of you were suddenly to explode, and if you weren’t lucky enough to be near Grand Central the other day, we’ve got some good news. The Fire Department located a security camera on Lexington Avenue that caught the steam-pipe explosion. The main problem with security cameras, of course, is bad composition — so just be warned to keep your eye on the top of the frame. Also, the Fire Department has confirmed that the time stamp on the tape is wrong. So don’t get hung up on that.
Moments Before the Steam Pipe Explosion [YouTube]
Video Shows Steam Pipe Explosion [City Room/NYT]
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Oddly, We Find Hazmat’d Cops Slightly Unnerving
“There is no reason to believe this is anything other than a failure of our infrastructure,” Mayor Mike insisted last night, attempting to calm any what-have- the-terrorists-done-now fears. Thing is: It’s hard to feel comfortable when cops are swarming the explosion site dressed like something out of Star Trek. With this afternoon’s announcement that no asbestos was found in the air, perhaps the police are losing the gas masks?
in other news
Grand Central Explosion Kills One, Wounds 30, Inconveniences Thousands
So it was a steam pipe that exploded last night near Grand Central, and the fallout from it includes one death (from a heart attack), more than 30 injuries (two critical), and, in the words of the Times, an “unnerved” Manhattan. “There is no reason to believe this is anything other than a failure of our infrastructure,” said Mayor Bloomberg. This is a surprisingly wan consolation: With infrastructure that allows for the occasional midtown geyser strong enough to rip pavement, flip a truck, and half-swallow a car, who needs terrorists? Witnesses described the epicenter, on 41st Street and Lexington Avenue, as looking strangely primordial, with flames flickering inside the rupture and boiling brown muck bubbling around its edges. There’s a YouTube video already, of course, and the inevitable idiotic comments. Bush did it! LOL!
it just happened
Explosion Near Grand Central Really Screws Up Commutes
Yes, there was indeed an explosion near Grand Central Terminal. No, it was not at Grand Central. Yes, there’s a lot of smoke. A transformer exploded on East 41st Street between Third and Lexington Avenues; it caused a four-alarm fire and injured one person. Police have closed that block and evacuated some buildings. The subways are running, including the Lex lines, though they’re currently skipping Grand Central, which must be a real pain for those who were trying to catch the 6:45 to Larchmont. We’re about to call it a day, but we have no doubt Sewell Chan will keep you abreast of the latest news all night long.
Buildings Evacuated After Midtown Explosion [City Room/NYT]
Update: The source of the explosion was a steam pipe, and as of 8:15 p.m. there is no service on the 4, 5, and 6 subway lines between 125th Street and Bowling Green, service on the 42nd Street shuttle has been suspended, and 7 trains bypass Grand Central.
MTA Service Alert [MTA.info]
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Swimmer Stranded*
Yes, the blackout yesterday sucked. But it could have been worse: You could have been trying to get home to Westchester.
*Yes, yes. This used to be headlined “Rabbit Stranded.” It was early and we were tired and we mixed up our Updike and our Cheever. Sorry.
show and talk
Nutritious, Delicious Couture
What could be better than fashion and food? Yesterday we rushed to Vanderbilt Hall to catch Tim Gunn hosting the Wish-Bone Salad Show. Designers Richie Rich and Traver Rain compared the experience to summer camp, and the models looked bewildered. “There’s some lettuce going on there. Or maybe some other vegetables,” the Asian Salad said vaguely. Backstage, one model sported onion shorts while another counted the string beans on her dress. Gunn said he preferred to accessorize with food, but our favorite model embraced the whole aesthetic: “I am the carpaccio salad.”
Wish-Bone Salad Fashion Show by Heatherette [NYM]
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Seriously, It’s the World’s Biggest Cheese!
We at Daily Intel never tire of the notion of the world’s biggest cheese, so we bring you another depiction. The cheese will be at Grand Central until 6 p.m., so you still have time to marvel at it. And when you do, consider these facts: The cheese is six feet wide and weighs 1,323 pounds. This is the dairy product’s final appearance in New York before continuing its world tour back in Europe. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
grub street
The Cheese Commutes Alone
Whatever your plans are for today, they should include a stop at Grand Central to see “The World’s Largest Cheese.” Murray’s Cheese and the Dutch cheesemaker Beemster have somehow rolled a Guinness-record-holding Gouda into the train station. Besides a tasting, the cheese gets its own press conference (gleefully imagined, above). We’re not sure what you do with a cheese that big, but Grub Street has some excellent suggestions.
World’s Biggest Cheese in Town Today [Grub Street]
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A Lovely Day for Busking
It’s audition day for Music Under New York, the MTA offshoot that sanctions musical performers throughout the subway system. Here, Fred Gillen Jr., a washboard player, and Matt Turk, a guitarist, wait their turn at Grand Central. They’ve got to be better than that guy who only ever plays “Redemption Song.”
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A British Invasion
The Teletubbies arrived in New York this morning for their first-ever American trip, apparently by Metro-North. Tinky-Winky, in front, was no doubt seeking directions to Chelsea.
grub street
The Oyster Bar’s Got Soft-Shells — in March!
And they keep making it sound like rising global temperatures are a bad thing. Feh! How else would we be lucky enough to have soft-shell crabs in March? Yup, that’s right, rising ocean temperatures have tricked the clueless crustaceans into shedding their skins early, making the summertime treat available before you’ve even filed your taxes. Where can you find ‘em? Only at Grand Central’s Oyster Bar, which claims to have cornered the market on the currently available supply of the critters. What else does global warming mean for the fate of crabkind? Find out on Grub Street.
Don’t Tell Al Gore: Soft-Shell Crabs Already Here [Grub Street]
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Lady Godiva Was a Metro-North Rider
Christmas may be the busiest time of the year for the Postal Service, but at the Godiva chocolate shop in Grand Central, the evening commute home on Valentine’s Day seems to take the, um, bonbon. The crowd-control measures in place — corralling maybe 40 or so candy-craving commuters when we stopped by a few minutes ago — include a maze of rope lines and a system by which customers pick out their chocolates and then wait their turn to pay. Other last-minute lovers will appreciate Grub Street’s roundup of what culinary canoodling spots had tables still available when they checked this afternoon, and the magazine provided a cheater’s guide to Valentine’s Day. See? We’ve got all your bases covered.
