Former New York Times building to become hotel, condos

by Melanie Nayer on

Who said print was dead? It’s just ‘reinventing’ itself…

The iconic New York Times building at West 43rd Street in Times Square (which was once slated for office space) will be renovated into hotel and condo living, according to the New York Times.

Building owners Africa Israel USA (AFI USA) announced redevelopment plans, including a 397-room hotel, 26 condo residences, and an entertainment complex complete with Discovery Times Square Exhibitions. There will be bowling, restaurants and entertainment areas for guests on the lower levels of the building. The 15-story building will also invite luxury boutiques to rent space.

The hotel will take over seven floors (5 through 11) and include a spa, gym with pool, restaurant and other amenities. Condos will be located on the top three floors (12 through 15). AFI USA is currently in discussions with several hotel operators to takeover the planned hotel space.

The New York Times building has been vacant since 2007, when the newspaper moved its offices to Eighth Avenue. Now, with more than $525 million invested into the building and AFI USA’s restructuring of the debt on the property, plans to turn the old printing establishment into a luxury hotel and condominium palace are underway.

One must wonder: As newspapers fold and the collapse of publications cause a publishing crisis around the nation, could those millions of dollars have saved print? Or, will the status of staying a night in the New York Times building help replenish the economy and revitalize the soul of Times Square?

Photo credit: AFI USA

Groom arrives at Corpus Christi Airport to a surprise wedding — his own

by Alison Brick on

Cinnabon-tinged air. Mumbled overhead announcements. And a few hundred weary strangers by your side.

Now that’s romantic.

But that’s probably what Robyn Moore must’ve gotten when she arranged an impromptu wedding for her fiance, William Acosta, at the Corpus Christi International Airport.

He arrived on his flight from Toledo, Ohio, wearing jeans and a sweater, and clutching his carry-on bags. She greeted him, wearing a wedding gown and accessorized by a justice of the peace.

They said their “I do”s right there in the terminal, surrounded by some family and the travelers who were nearby. Official photos were taken near the Christmas tree at a security checkpoint.

The two had already picked up a marriage license last week, with the idea of getting married before the end of the year — except they didn’t know where or when.

Why an airport? They had been dating long distance between Texas and Ohio for a year and a half. Moore figured an airport wedding was appropriate, considering they had spent so much time during their relationship in airports.

Is this the end of three-hour waits on the tarmac?

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Over the last few years, we’ve heard countless stories of airlines who have allowed their passengers to spend hours stranded in a plane on the runway. Finally, those nightmare scenarios look like they’re about to come to an end.

Yesterday, the Obama administration announced that, beginning this spring, airlines whose passengers sit for more than three hours at a time on the tarmac will face stiff penalties of up to $275,000 per passenger. The new rules, which Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood calls “President Obama’s Passenger Bill of Rights,” also force airlines to offer passengers food and water after they’ve been on the tarmac for two hours.

Many “passengers’ rights” groups are pleased with the administration’s decision. FlyersRights founder Kate Hanni called the move a “Christmas miracle.” “No more will they be able to strand passengers for over three hours in hot, sweaty, metal tubes,” she said.

But not everyone is thrilled with the Obama administration’s “Christmas gift” to travelers. David Castelveter of the Air Transport Association said that this move will result in more cancellations than there are today. If a plane has been waiting on the runway for almost three hours and is told it will take off in five minutes, a passenger who asks to be let off may cause the entire flight to be canceled.

Secretary LaHood discounted the importance of that hypothetical. “You know as well as I do that five minutes always extends out to 50 minutes, and almost always to five hours. There’s no such thing as five minutes, never, ever.”

Castelveter also noted that planes that let off passengers will have to abandon their spot in the take-off queue, taxi back to the gate, have baggage handlers remove the luggage, and during the winter months, de-ice the plane. The delays resulting from letting off the passengers could be much longer than the delays without it.

More here.

What do you think? Are the benefits of ending three-hour waits worth the costs?

Airplane passenger catches Space Shuttle launch on camera

by Scott Carmichael on


I recommend turning the audio down on your computer if you plan to watch this at work, or around children, as the narrator tends to swear a lot.

Here is a video of something you don’t see every day out the airplane window – the launch of a Space Shuttle. The video was captured by a passenger on Air Canada flight 981 from Toronto to Nassau, and shows the Shuttle right after take off, on its way into space.

Thankfully, someone on the plane used the PA system to tell passengers about the launch, though I’m sure the 50% of people on the wrong side of the plane were pretty miffed they missed this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.%Gallery-76818%

ALSO: For up-to-the-minute news on possible new TSA rules resulting from Friday’s foiled terrorist attack, click here.

Cabbie drives 1,600 miles — customer refuses to pay

by Scott Carmichael on

Life as a cabbie is no walk in the park. They deal with drunk passengers, being robbed, and often spend part of their shift cleaning up puke in the backseat of their “office”.

The worst customers are probably those that take the cabbie for a ride. These thieves take advantage of taxi cab services, and run off without paying, when they reach their destination.

South Florida cab passenger Lucilo Perez (pictured here on the right) took things to the next level. Perez convinced cabbie Lelis Almeira to drive from Miami to Western Tennessee, without the means or intention of paying.

This is a 20 hour / 1,600 mile drive, and the cabbie had to pay for his own gas and food using his credit card.

When he arrived in Tennessee, the lady Perez was traveling to meet, said there was no way she’d pay for the cab. Apparently, Perez was under the impression that his lady friend would cough up the $3000 cab fare.

Memphis police arrested Perez, and he’ll now need to find the cash to pay his cab driver. Meanwhile, the cab driver has lost all faith in humanity. Though I do feel sorry for him, the tough lesson here is to get a guarantee that you’ll be paid – especially on a 1,600 mile journey.
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