The peak time for fall foliage in New York City is typically mid-October through early November. Whether you want to wander on your own observing the beautiful colors of the changing autumn leaves or are hoping to get a tour, these are some great ways to experience the changing of the leaves in and around New York City.

1. Central Park
Maples, oaks and elms are just a few of the trees in Central Park that create the beautiful autumn colors throughout the park. If you want a great panoramic view of Central Park, head to Belvedere Castle and if you’d like to avoid the crowds, head to the northern half of Central Park.

2. NY Waterway Shades of Autumn River Cruise
On Saturdays and Sundays in the Fall, you can take this four hour cruise up the Hudson River to experience the beautiful fall foliage throughout the Hudson Valley. Price: $40 for adults, $35 for seniors, $20 for children 
Schedule: Saturdays and Sundays, October 10 – November 1, 2009 
Departs: 10 a.m. from West 38th Street/12th Avenue

3. Circle Line Downtown Fall Foliage Cruise
On Saturdays in mid-October through early November, ride the Zephyr Yacht up the Hudson River while enjoying the fall foliage and a complimentary wine tasting from Peconic Bay Winery. Price: $120 per person including cruise, continental breakfast, lunch buffet, dessert and coffee 
Schedule: Saturdays, October 17 – November 7, 2009 
Departs: Boards at 10:30 a.m., Sails at 11 a.m. and Returns at approximately 4:30 p.m.

4. Circle Line Oktoberfest Bear Mountain Cruises
Take this all day cruise up the Hudson River to Bear Mountain, where the cruise stops so you can enjoy a picnic lunch (bring your own or pre-order one from Circle Line). Offered Oct. 6, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, & Nov. 3rd, 2007. Price: $49 for adults, $40 for seniors, $30 for children 
Schedule: Saturdays and Sundays, October 3 – November 1, 2009 
Departs: Boards at 8:30 a.m. and returns at 5:30 p.m.

From About.com Guide, by Heather Cross

There’s a half man that lives in the basement of 85 Broad Street. His teeth are black like coal and the few strands left on his head are the greyish color of the soot that was left behind from the World Trade Center. The horns on his head are razor sharp and his back is in the shape of an arch as he huddles over his arithmometer. “$5.1 billion” reads at the end of the ticker. Spittle forms at his mouth and his eyes widen. An inaudible sound that does not seem human comes from his gut. He takes a swig from the wine bottle that has been left at his feet. The redness poors down his face, splashing onto his Oxford shirt and loose tie. A groan of satisfaction as he dances around the stank darkness.

“5.1 billion! 5.1 billion!” The 140 year old man screams like a crazy.

He goes by the name of Goldman.

Fun facts about the largest fireworks display in America:

• The Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks is comprised of more than 30,000 shells, which translates to over 1,000 shells bursting per minute.

• The shells are precisely timed to fire to the beat of the music. This is controlled via a computer with 10 miles of wire necessary for synchronization.

• Each aerial shell is individually launched from its own mortar. This translates to 63,000 feet of pipe made of steel and fiberglass for the 30,000 shells.

• The entire Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks uses 55 times more fireworks than the average show in the United States.

From Macy’s.

For great places to watch this year’s Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks on the Hudson River go to New York Magazine.

Legislation to formalize New York State’s Adopt-A-Highway Program was passed in 1990 to encourage individuals or groups to clean up highway roadsides and to recognize those volunteers who do. Participation in the program also fosters a sense of community ownership of the roadway as well as a sense of pride in its appearance.

Today, all 50 states have some type of a sponsor-a-highway or adopt-a-highway program in place because there is a very real human need for aesthetically pleasing roadsides in spite of the reality that highway beautification simply cannot compete on an even level with highway safety for ever-diminishing public funds.

Key points about New York State Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Highway program

• Approximately 5,000 miles of New York State highway roadsides are adopted.
• The New York State Department of Transportation has 2,400 active Adopt-A-Highway agreements in place.
• Volunteer groups, organizations, businesses or individuals may adopt a segment of highway as long as there are no other adopters of that segment.
• An adopted highway segment is usually two miles long but this length may vary.
• NYSDOT must determine that the segment to be adopted is safe for voluntary beautification.
• Adopters agree to perform at least four pick-ups each year.
• Adopters must be at least 12 years-old; adopters between 12 years-old and 18 years-old must be accompanied by a guardian.
• Proposed adopters must enter into formal agreements with NYSDOT.
• Each Adopt-A-Highway agreement is for two years and is renewable provided the adopters have functioned in accordance with their previous agreement.
• Adopters must obtain a Highway Work Permit from the New York State Department of Transportation; NYSDOT waives the standard permit fee.
• Adopt-A-Highway agreements may be terminated if the adopters fail to perform in accordance with the signed agreement.
• The Department reserves the right to deny participation to any proposed adopters whose participation would not be in the best interest of New York State.
• NYSDOT collects and properly disposes of the litter the adopters have collected.

To adopt a highway in the five boroughs of New York City, contact Miriam Rodriguez at (212) 487-6839.

From NY Department of Transportation

Bright, colorful fall foliage is heading toward its latter destinations in New York State for October 22-28, 2008, with peak conditions expected this weekend in the central Hudson Valley and some areas of the Finger Lakes and Greater Niagara regions, according to observers for Empire State Development’s I LOVE NEW YORK program.

On Long Island, foliage observers in the Hamptons expect about 90 percent color transition and near peak foliage with predominating colors of red and gold amid the many evergreens. Leaf peepers in Nassau County and western Suffolk County expect 75 percent color change with orange, yellow, red and purple leaves of average brilliance. Generally, the foliage will be near peak, with some waterfront areas peaking and the parkways around mid-point. In New York City, expect midpoint to near peak foliage this weekend. Observers at Clay Pit Ponds State Park in Staten Island expect 55-65 percent color change with most leaves of average brilliance. Predominating colors include red, orange, dusty yellow and patches of dull green.

From the Fall Foliage Report of the New York State Department of Economic Development.

With the economy on the brink and elections looming, Congress approved an unprecedented $700 billion government bailout of the battered financial industry on Friday and sent it to President Bush who quickly signed it.

“We have acted boldly to help prevent the crisis on Wall Street from becoming a crisis in communities across our country,” Bush said shortly after the vote, although he conceded, “our economy continues to face serious challenges.”

Underscoring that somber warning, the Dow Jones industrials, up more than 200 points at the time of the House vote, had fallen into negative territory an hour later. They fluctuated as the afternoon wore on.

The final vote, 263-171 in the House, capped two weeks of tumult in Congress and on Wall Street, punctuated by daily warnings that the country confronted the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression if lawmakers failed to act. There were 58 more votes for the measure than an earlier version that failed on Monday.

Excerpt from “Congress OKs historic bailout bill; Bush signs it” by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and David Espo at Breitbart.com.

New figures released Friday show the number of summonses handed out to dog walkers who do not pick up after their pets has more than doubled this year. This, after sanitation officials stepped up enforcement of scooping laws.

Since last July, the city has taken in nearly $29,000 in fines for uncollected pet waste. The Parks Department also hands out tickets to those who do not curb their pets in city parks. Some New Yorkers say they feel the fines are well deserved.

“I think that all dog owners have the responsibility to clean up after their dog so that no one has to deal with the mess,” said one dog owner. “If you want to own a dog, then you should take of your dog. You should take care of your city to keep a nice, clean city.”

Dog owners who like to let their pets run free should think twice. Between July of last year and this April, more than $100,000 in fines was handed out for unleashed dogs.

From “More Pet Owners Not Picking Up After Their Pooches” at NY 1.

It has been 38 years since we as a global population have been observing the Earth Day on April 22 to explore and reinforce ways to save the planet from emissions and global warming.

Sounds like a lofty movement, but it is pertinent to point out that in these years the planet has been mauled so collectively and nastily that its longevity has literally shrunk a million times.

Just the other day the polar cap collapsed in the Arctic, setting off alarm and fears of consequences. Food shortages are no longer just for the below poverty line segment; irrational and bad weather has become an agent of virulent change; crops are crashing, water is vanishing and the ozone hole is threatening to get bigger than the stratosphere itself.

More alarmingly, on an average we dumped 70 million tons of global warming pollution a day into the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet. The collapsing north polar ice cap may vanish during summer in less than 22 years, with one estimate saying, may be in just seven years. As many as 30 per cent of species are on an extinction list; and air pollution is set to cause around two million premature deaths worldwide every year.

From “Let’s turn saviours this Earth Day” by Jitendra Verma, published April 22, 2008 in The Times of India.

Global warming is the most urgent environmental threat facing the planet today and time is running out. We need national action to solve this crisis. We need to cap and reduce America’s global warming pollution starting now. Go to the Environmental Defense Fund and send an email to urge your members of Congress to support national, economy-wide action.

At City Hall, Mayor Bloomberg prepared to accept the proceeds of a winning bet with Mayor Tom Menino of Boston.

The 100 cups of clam chowder, coffee, 12 dozen Boston cream pies and gallons of ice cream and yogurt will be spread out to soup kitchens in each of the five boroughs.

“Whether you’re a football fan or not, every New Yorker has a glow on their face today,” said Bloomberg, who invited the mayor of East Rutherford, N.J., where the Giants actually play.

As thousands [of Patriot fan's] mourned the loss, others faced the embarrassing consequences of their overconfidence.

Matt Maley, a financial trader from Wellesley, Mass., lost a bet and had to walk about half a mile in high heels to buy lunch for his entire office.

“A lot of painful things have happened in the Boston-New York rivalry over the years,” he said, limping over the city’s quaint cobblestone streets in pumps. “This is the worst.”

The Harpoon Brewery, a Boston institution, was forced to serve one keg’s worth of Brooklyn Lager as part of a bet with the Brooklyn Brewery in Williamsburg.

Mike Fuller, a chef at a cafe in Boston’s financial district, grimaced at the thought of having to serve Manhattan clam chowder for the next two weeks.

“It’s unfortunate, but that’s how it goes,” Fuller said, blaming the menu choice on a corporate decision made by New Yorkers.

Excerpt from “New Yorkers revel at Boston’s expense” by Dorian Block in Boston and Kerry Burke and Dave Goldiner in New York, published Tuesday, February 5, 2008 in Daily News.

1974-1988 — Grandma and Grandpa’s Living Room
1988-1994 — Grandma and Grandpa’s Basement
1994-2000 — Mom and Dad’s Garage
2000-2002 — First apartment in the city (UES)
2002-2003 — Second apartment in the city (Chelsea)
2003-2005 — Third apartment in the city (UES)
2006-2008 — Fourth apartment in the city (Water Street)
January 2008 — Landfill