Ben Yakas

Tom McCarthy, the Battalion Chief of the 13th Battalion in Washington Heights, opened up publicly for the first time about his personal experiences on 9/11, as well as his frustrations with the politicization of the day.

I uncovered the forgotten history of Cardvaark, the MetroCard mascot who almost became a New York legend.

"Upstate" has almost as many definitions as it does references in state laws, which left many of us wondering: where the hell IS upstate anyway? What divides downstate and upstate? And what is the cultural significance of the designation?

I co-designed 12 new mascots for the MTA with illustrator Mattie Lubchansky.

[Find out who won the contest here.]

Broadway’s custodians, elevator operators and restroom attendants are the unsung workers of the Great White Way.

For more than 80 years, the 79th Street Boat Basin has been a hub of activity nestled inside Riverside Park. But the basin has been in desperate need of improvements for decades.

It's not easy commuting every day with the knowledge that every train ride could trap you in a system-wide meltdown, which is why we should all do our part to NOT make it even worse by being rude and gross space invaders. 

It is one of the unheralded nature-oriented treasures of the city. It's a perfect place for long walks and exercise, it boasts spectacular river vistas, and it's rarely overcrowded like those other more popular Manhattan parks.

No matter your background, what part of the city you live in, or how long your commute is, the NYC experience is a perpetual Rube Goldberg machine filled with strange and unique situations that the English language struggles to fully describe. Thankfully, there is another language that IS very good at describing extremely specific things: German.

[Also check out eleven more words in part two]

The NY Times has a weakness for self-parodying trend-baiting, masochistic Millennial obsessing, and the perverse lifestyles of the filthy rich. If a reporter with the Real Estate, Style or Weekend sections approaches you about a story, just smile gently and run in the opposite direction. No one is forcing you to become representative of everything that everyone hates about New Yorkers.

Coverage following the dismantling and death of Grand Prospect Hall

Thanks in part to my coverage, the Vessel in Hudson Yards changed its extreme photo and video policies.

There is a wealth of evidence that Trump has repeatedly and outrageously exaggerated and lied about 9/11 to fit his purposes.

Real MTA heads know that one of the most pivotal moments in subway map history happened at Cooper Union in April 1978, when acclaimed designer Massimo Vignelli debated the future of the map with cartographer John Tauranac.

A growing number of New Yorkers have set out to document and preserve an ever-changing city through DIY projects spread via social media. Their creations are love letters to a city that is still only beginning to emerge from the trauma of the pandemic.

It's clear that the city takes only a small amount of responsibility in caring for these facilities. No dog run could possibly be successful without the considerable effort of a handful of dedicated volunteers, willing to spend much of their free time organizing and cleaning up the parks themselves.

Since 1988, Billy Romp and his family have been making an annual pilgrimage to the West Village to set up their "Romp Family Christmas Trees" stand. They have become arguably the most beloved tree vendors in Manhattan, which is not something that Romp takes lightly.

DST is the biggest chronological scam in history. 

[Related: "How New Legislation Could End The Scourge Of Daylight Saving Time System In NY"]

It's just like Andy Warhol said: in the future, everyone will sit next to Jake Gyllenhaal on the subway for 15 minutes (or at least until their stop).

Locals spoke out after a temporary branch of the New York Public Library became in danger of closing.

Exploring the photos and stories behind more than 100 signs of businesses that have disappeared in Lower Manhattan.

Some safe streets advocates are growing impatient with the pace of Vision Zero initiatives—and for the families of the 134 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes last year, the city is already moving far too slowly.

As with most things involving the NY Post, the reality for Andersen, like the thousands of other homeless people struggling to survive in NYC, is more nuanced than they'd have you believe.

You don't need a weather expert to know which way the wind blows, but they sure can come in handy when dealing with tropical storms, nor'easters, blizzards, and historic rainfalls.

I broke the story about longtime DUMBO gastropub and indie screening room reBar abruptly closing in 2014.

It's a familiar narrative that still gets traction: people conflating criticism of Israeli government policies with anti-Semitism. What Peyser is picking up on here is something that has become a major subtext in the Sanders campaign of late: people—more often than not fellow Jews—monitoring, judging, and ultimately policing him for his Jewish identity and his unwillingness to exploit it. 

Mayoral candidates weigh in on the importance of bagels to New Yorkers' culture and identity.

The Rainbow Bagel feels like a perfect encapsulation of a very specific, slightly more innocent time in NYC history. How were so many hardened locals convinced to willingly stand in line for hours for a sugary, unnatural-looking bagel that didn't really taste like a bagel?

Looking back at some of the more incendiary commentary from the build up to Citi Bike's launch, let me tell you: it is hilarious.

No subway map would be coherent were it not for a color-coding system developed over the course of decades.

A fond look at the pre-pandemic rush hour.

[Related: "Happy 115th Anniversary To The Subway, You Barely Look A Day Over 100"]

I felt a compulsion to bear witness to the livestream of history, even if it turned out to be yet another drop in an ocean of Trump scandals that seemed really important at the time, but later turned out to be just another thing in the news that day.

[Related: "I've Been Secretly Watching The Impeachment Hearings All Day At Work, AMA"]

"I have enormous respect for essential workers, but the plan here would ruin an amazing green space in Battery Park."

For close to 50 years, Ray Alvarez has been working the night shift.

The question that has stuck with me recently: what New Yorker would vote for Trump? And knowing what the atmosphere is like here, would they even tell anyone about it? Is there a silent orange majority secretly lurking in the margins of the avenues?

(And read part two here)

Learn the secrets to getting an exclusive 212 number.

Founders Ja Rule and Billy McFarland charged thousands of dollars to the exclusive event, promising "the best in food, art, music and adventure." And by all accounts, it truly has been an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience for all who went.

12. Start dragging your suitcase with you everywhere you go. Every day is a vacation when you have your suitcase!

This isn't just a matter of being gullible, though I'm sure it was that for some victims. It's a scam that's been perfected over a decade or more, one that plays on basic human decency (as well as basic human greed).