We recently shared our excitement over the prospect of getting to NYC on the cheap and comfortable: the semi-new bus routes set up to rival that bastion of Mid-Atlantic inexpensive travel, the Chinatown bus. We are deeply saddened to share with you the experience of QuizMasterChris, who had quite a surreal time whilst attempting to get to aforementioned Big Apple on Megabus, one of those “book early, get cheaper tickets” outfits. That didn’t quite work......

We've been contemplating a jaunt to the old NYC all summer (mainly to see this geekalicious exhibit and have some chocolate), and back before the humidity fried all neural pathways we looked into how, exactly, we would get there. We're not fried too much to remember we’re on a tighter than usual budget, and when did a train ticket get that exorbitant? We resigned ourselves to bussing it, and were delighted, if a bit hesitant,......

He was called the “naughty boy of dance” by none other than the grand dame of modern dance herself, Martha Graham. The Paul Taylor Dance Company comes to Philly with five works, the latest,Changes (2008), a Philadelphia premiere. The naughty boy is tricky though: there are two programs, A and B, so you’ll need to head over to the Annenberg twice to catch it all. A includes Changes, Esplanade (1975), and Lines of Loss (2007);......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: If You’re Traitorous: Author Richard Price reads from his latest novel Lush Life, a story of Manhattan and its inhabitants, at the Central Branch of the Free Library (1901 Vine) Nicer Way to Pull the Trigger: Wellness practitioner Scott Yorker teaches the basics of trigger point massage every first Tuesday at Sweat Fitness Club (700 E Passyunk), 8-9PM. Home For a Hero: Home For a Hero, Hale Allen,......

Photo by Phillyist's Matt Johnson, SkyscraperSunset.com, December 19, 2007. Phillyist explored an impending implosion and lived to tell the tale.Gothamist marveled at the city's new NYC-branded condom campaign - especially the use of a Toronto landmark in the advertising. (Also, fun fact: Gothamist turned five years old yesterday.)Tired of the worldwide Scientology protests? Torontoist totally isn't: they covered the big downtown protest the day it happened, and followed up with an examination of all......

Finally! The Day of Days, only hours away from the Hour of Hours, when the bright and beautiful dawn of the Weekend shall arise above our spellbound eyes, pushing the darkness and decrepitude of the week deep into the recesses of distant memory! Huzzah! Huzzah! BLUE MAN GROUP HOW TO BE A MEGASTAR 2.1 TOUR If you thought that intro up there would be a hard act to follow, well, we'll put our humility aside......

Despite their name, NYC four-piece Vampire Weekend (MySpace) is not a shoe-gazing, emo goth band. In fact, their self-titled debut LP, just released at the end of last month, is perhaps best described as "sunny" - the very antithesis of a vampire's idea of a good weekend. This band, beloved of many blogs (including us), performs bouncy, funny, clever, retro indie/punk/pop/New Wave songs about love. Their music is so fun it feels like there has......

Normally we could start this post with some quip about chasing off the winter doldrums with some laughter. But seeing as how the mercury is riding high today, and should be for a while, we got nothing. That’s why we’re not comedians. Luckily, there are some very talented folks who are, and they are presenting a 5-day smorgasbord of improv and sketch comedy goodness for your gluttonous consumption. Philly Improv Theater’s Shubin Week starts tonight......

Philadelphian Karen Kilimnik has been selected as one of the artists for the 2008 Whitney Biennial, an exhibition of recent American art at the Whitney Museum of American Art in NYC. (Via Jill, via Lenny) Frank Funaro, who runs a nightclub and a real estate business on South Street in Philadelphia, was robbed of $40,000 yesterday morning at his home in Washington Township, New Jersey. A gunman, apparently deliberately targeting the family, was hiding in......

Photograph of memorial outside Heath Ledger's NYC apartment Gothamist learned that actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his SoHo apartment, cause of death unknown so far (but apparently the masseuse who found him called Mary-Kate Olsen before 911).Bostonist considered sending a link about the Super Bowl, but damn! The New Kids are reuniting!Although Sylvester Stallone is a native of New York City, his Rocky character lets many Philadelphians consider him a native son......

Heath Ledger died yesterday afternoon in a NYC apartment, and early indications are it was from an overdose, but an autopsy will be performed today to determine the facts. Gothamist has a detailed, much-updated post on the topic. Both the Inquirer and the Daily News are taking a look this morning at the three finalists for the job of chief executive officer of the School District of Philadelphia, and the Inquirer also has a look......

SFist saw Christmas Day turn tragic after a Siberian tiger escaped from her pen at the San Francisco Zoo, killing a visitor and mauling two others. Phillyist counted down the top ten items on Philadelphia's New Year's wish list. Gothamist looked at the wooden bikes being offered for NYC's first bike share program on Governors Island. LAist received a Christmas present in the form of a drunk Santa Claus in a g-string. Bostonist launched......

CBS 3 anchor Alycia Lane was arrested at 2:04 AM yesterday at the corner of W. 17th Street and 9th Avenue in NYC for allegedly punching a female police officer in the face. She was locked up in a New York jail cell as of yesterday afternoon. More on this story later. (Via Jason) TV star Bam Margera of West Chester, along with business partner and bar owner Don Moore, plans "to open a theater,......

The Holiday season is in full swing in NYC, with holiday lights in Brooklyn, a giant snow globe in Bryan Park and Chanukah specials for ham. One citizen decided to go vigilante on annoying car alarms, a murder suspect used a fake Asian accent on the stand and a video of a man being beaten up by teenage girls on a subway shocked the city. And we interviewed soon-to-be-leaving-Gawker editor Choire Sicha, who said,......

Every weekday of December (except for December 25, that is), Phillyist will be counting down to 2008 with our highlights from the past year and our predictions for the next. If you have a list you'd like to submit, let us know! Keep in mind that despite the "top ten" designation, these are in no particular order. Also, most of these bands have been around for a few years, but I only discovered them this......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Phillyist. UWISHUNU, because you wish you knew. NYC Visit, where you can find out all about things to during December in NYC. Sony Card, because you'll get a free MP3 player if you apply. Busted Tees, where they're selling 12 shirts for $12 each. If you're interested in advertising on Phillyist or any other site in our network, check out our online......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Phillyist. UWISHUNU, because you wish you knew. NYC Visit, where you can find out all about things to during November in NYC. Sony Card, because you'll get a free MP3 player if you apply. Busted Tees, where you get free shipping with the purchase of three shirts. If you're interested in advertising on Phillyist or any other site in our network, check......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Phillyist. UWISHUNU, because you wish you knew. NYC Visit, where you can find out all about things to during November in NYC. Sony Card, because you'll get a free MP3 player if you apply. Busted Tees, where you get free shipping with the purchase of three shirts. If you're interested in advertising on Phillyist or any other site in our network, check......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Phillyist. AMEX Urban Adventures, because big cities are full of little adventures. UWISHUNU, because you wish you knew. NYC Visit, where you can find out all about things to during November in NYC. PRAVDA, because nobody likes an aftertaste in their vodka. Austin City Limits, which will feature The Arcade Fire. Busted Tees, where they've thrown their weight behind Hillary in '08.......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. The only true history of lolcats. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to has a cheezburger. (Via) Oh woe unto the entertainment industry, for the writers strike has begun! Cinematical has pics from the picket lines in NYC, while Kung Fu Monkey offers us an explanation of the strike from a writer's perspective. At the urging of fans,......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Phillyist. AMEX Urban Adventures, because big cities are full of little adventures. Rogue Wave, playing Jonny Brenda's on November 3rd (that's tomorrow!). UWISHUNU, because you wish you knew. NYC Visit, where you can find out all about things to during November in NYC. PRAVDA, because nobody likes an aftertaste in their vodka. If you're interested in advertising on Phillyist or any other......

Gothamist learned about the craziest urban nightmare come true: A huge python found in the bathroom pipes. It was also a nightmare for some Yankees fans, as manger Joe Torre declined to come back and manage the Bronx Bombers. At least the city's attempt to give some direction to subway riders was interesting, pranksters went shirtless at the Fifth Avenue Abercrombie & Fitch and the I Heart Brooklyn Girls calendars came out. And just......

What's new and/or interesting in theaters this weekend. For the Bible Tells Me So - This is a documentary looking at Christianity and homosexuality, and whether the two can possibly get along. It includes interviews with people on both sides of the debate, and looks at whether the parts of the Bible that are supposedly anti-gay haven't perhaps been taken out of context and used to serve a political agenda. Sounds like a very interesting......

The Inquirer has the details on yesterday's Phillies pep rally, which folks are claiming was the largest pep rally in the city's history. Today is the one year anniversary of the Amish school shooting. The Penn student who died on September 9th of meningococcal meningitis was discharged from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania only days earlier and told she had a viral infection that would soon clear up. Penn officials are still claiming......

Happy first weekend of September - and happy Labor Day weekend, too, for our American cities! Let's take a look at what's been happening around the Ist-a-verse. The deaths of two firefighters shook Bostonist this week. Boston's firefighters bent over backwards all week long - first, they fought flames pouring from the Boston Tea Party museum, and then a restaurant fire killed two and injured many more. Their efforts make everything else - like Tom......

Chicagoist is gearing up for this weekend's annual Air & Water Show along the lakefront. In what's becoming an annual tradition around there, staff member Todd McClamroch even got to fly with one of the participants. Chicagoist's decidedly opinionated readership was also appalled that one of their staffers found a popular local brewpub to be a great place to bring a kid. They also think that an unlikely activist for immigration rights should just take......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. There's finally an official teaser trailer for The Dark Knight officially on the web, and you can watch it here. There's no footage from the film, just audio - but you do get to hear the Joker. (Via) Fun little profile of Neil Gaiman here, on the occasion of the upcoming release of the film adaptation of his book Stardust (via).......

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a......

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. Sampaist was shocked when a passenger jet crashed into the center of Sao Paulo, killing at least 200 people. The airplane, an Airbus A320, skidded off the runway at the......

LAist was comped front row seats by the Dodgers due to Malingering being struck by a foul ball last week, and she came back with some great photos, and earlier made fun of 4th of July on Venice Beach. But the biggest stories of the week was that the Mayor's Hot Tamale was revealed, and that a Kwik-E-Mart was erected in Burbank. Phillyist was busy doing the Fourth of July up right, exercising their......