March 24, 2008 Issue

Cover Story
The End
(I) The Governor and the Darkness
Eliot Spitzer’s career was made—and unmade—by covert ops. By Chris Smith
(II) Secrets of the Megapimps
Insight from the prostitution punditry. By Mark Jacobson
(III) Why Stand By?
Silda didn’t pull a Hillary—it was much worse than that. By Ariel Levy
Features
A Showgirl of a Certain Age
Bette Midler loves, hates, loves Las Vegas.
A Night on the Streets
Homelessness is the single biggest failure of the Bloomberg administration, which has tried a radical new policy that’s made an intractable problem worse. There are over 35,000 homeless now in the city. On a single cold night in February, we met six of them.
Intelligencer
David Paterson’s Attention-Getting Strategy
The lieutenant governor wanted to raise his profile. Then he got a promotion.
Hangin’ Judge Lebowitz
Has no mercy for Spitzer.
Don’t Forget the Mayor’s Sex Suit
Bloomberg LP hires former EEOCer.
Hot Refrigeration Plant Goes for $34 M
Vogue photog sells, swears it won’t become condo tower.
‘30 Rock’ Rolls With City Hall
Beeper King says mayor’s a natural.
It Happened Last Week
The mini-bombing on Times Square was forgotten amid the detonation of Spitzer’s political career.
Kindergarten Crop
It’s time for the city’s baby boomlet to go to kindergarten, and there’s not enough room.
Piece of Cake
From flack to author, with a little help from her friends.
Home on the Asphalt
Can the PETA brigade force Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages to ride into the sunset?
Columns
A Pants-Down Primer
Why did Eliot Spitzer go down so quickly, while Bill Clinton managed to hang on indefinitely? A tale of two zipper problems.
Strategist
Bring On the Rain
Torrential spring downpours are inevitable. Soaking clothing is not.
Polos, Hold the Logo
For those who prefer to be inconspicuous, there are many fine polo shirt options.
The Look Book
"I have to go many places, I live many places."
The Restaurant Review
The great French chef returns to New York. This time, he’s toned it down some.
In Season
Emily Isaac dispenses with tradition for her spring-inspired rhubarb version of hamantaschen.
Insatiable Critic
Jumeirah Essex House has found a skilled veteran in chef Kerry Heffernan.
Restaurant Openings
Week of March 24, 2008: I Sodi, Batch, and Duane Park.
Trendlet: Crunch!
Suddenly, there’s a crackling out there for everyone—even Lower East Side vegetarians.
Young Man and the Sea
Today, Joaquin Baca, co-owner of Momofuku, is running the kitchen at the Rusty Knot.
Taxes, Three Ways
Who gets the best return: TurboTax, H&R Block, or a $400-an-hour accountant?
Trade You!
Want a free week in a villa or on a ranch? Turns out Tuscans and Texans want your apartment, too.
Culture
Script Doctor, Unleashed
Zak Penn cut his teeth on the X-Men sequels. Now he’s making his own film—and barely writing a word.
The Movie Review
With help from Naomi Watts, Michael Haneke repeats the error of his ways.
Fresh Meat on the Undulating Curve of Shifting Expectations!
The Wire is over, TV is still in strike-recovery mode, and the music industry is deader than ever.
East Village Shock Jocks: Blue and Fish in the Morning
For the past year, Rory Albanese and Jimmy Donn have hosted “Blue and Fish.”
The Theater Review
In the Heights brings hip-hop and salsa beats to the old-school musical-comedy form.
Overheard: What the Audience Really Thought About ‘Passing Strange’
Belasco Theatre, March 7, 2008.
The Art Review
The Whitney Biennial, chockablock with bloodless M.F.A. product, is a little too smart for its own good.
Bidding Adieu
An Arbus collector heads to auction.
The Classical Music Review
Mencken called opera in English “about as sensible as baseball in Italian.” But it does have its charms.
Talking English: William Bolcom and Steve Blier
William Bolcom and Steve Blier spoke about the particular challenges and pleasures of opera Inglese.
The TV Review
If you’ll watch only one television program on the catastrophe in Iraq, make it this one.
The Approval Matrix: Week of March 24, 2008
Our deliberately oversimplified guide to who falls where on our taste hierarchies.
Agenda
Easter Eggstravaganza
A neighborhood-by-neighborhood guide to Easter Egg hunts.
Departments
Comments: March 24, 2008
Readers sound off on Eliot Spitzer, Best of New York, and more.
Artifact: Playing Hair
Findings from the streets, files, and hard drives of New York.
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