Empire Outlets is a massive project developing in Staten Island that will include restaurants, shopping, a hotel, entertainment and other activities. The center is being built by BFC Partners and hopes to grab a piece of the $8.5 billion dollars spent annually in NYC retail. In this aerial video from the project developers featured on Staten Island Advance, check out the construction progress on the Empire Outlets site.

See inside Empire Outlets construction. Empire Outlets, New York City's first outlet center, is now about three quarters complete and more than 70 percent leased, according to the project's principals. The Advance took an exclusive tour of the site this week to see the construction progress first hand. When it is complete, Empire Outlets will feature more than 100 designer retailers, a boutique hotel with a rooftop venue and a 1,250-space parking garage. (Courtesy of Empire Outlets)

This great vintage photograph shows the view looking south down Park Avenue towards the Helmsley Building and the PAN AM Building in 1964. Here is a Google StreetView of approximately the same view today:

Video from No Pants Subway Ride 2017

Organized by Improv Everywhere, the 17th Annual No Pants Subway Ride in NYC will be held on Sunday, January 7th, 2018. The comedic "improv" event is widely known and less shocking than in previous years, but still a bunch of fun and still brings a ton of smiles to people of all ages.

The No Pants Subway Ride is an annual event staged by Improv Everywhere every January in New York City. (The date changes from year to year and is announced in early December.) The mission started as a small prank with seven guys and has grown into an international celebration of silliness, with dozens of cities around the world participating each year. The idea behind No Pants is simple: Random passengers board a subway car at separate stops in the middle of winter without pants. The participants behave as if they do not know each other, and they all wear winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. The only unusual thing is their lack of pants.

• When: Sunday, January 7 at 3:00 PM, Sharp! (Over around 5 PM)
• Where: Seven meeting points spread out all over New York City. Details
• Bring: A backpack/bag and a metro card.
• Wear: Normal winter clothes (hat, gloves, etc)
• Facebook: You can RSVP to the Facebook Event (Optional but appreciated)
• Twitter: Use #NoPantsSubwayRide and mention @ImprovEvery
• Afterparty: We’re throwing an afterparty at Bar 13! Details

Check out all of the event details and instructions here. If you are not in NYC, check out the global to find out if it is happening in your city.