Not very NYSE, Ben: Congressmember Nydia Velázquez blasted Ben Carson, the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, for visiting the New York Stock Exchange on his visit to New York City. “Rather than visiting Wall Street, I would hope Secretary Carson would spend all his time in New York City gathering a read more here »

Hamburgled: Not even McDonald’s can make it down here anymore. The franchise at 27 Third Ave. between St. Mark’s Place and Stuyvesant St. closed last week. A well-placed East Village source — a merchant who spoke on condition of anonymity — gave us the scoop. “I told you recently that the McDonald’s was struggling at read more here »

‘Pier55, no jive,’ Trust says: Opponents fighting the Pier55 plan in the Hudson River Park have made much ado about an agreement Barry Diller signed earlier this year allegedly “capping” his financial commitment to the embattled project at $185 million. Yet, the price tag of the “fantasy island” pier is now being pegged at $250 read more here »

Otto ‘noose’ news: Well, it’s all quiet on the Ottomanelli “noose incident” front. In April, the story broke that Victor Sheppard, a black deliveryman, had accused Joe Ottomanelli, one of the brothers who run the famed Ottomanelli & Sons Meat Market, of a pattern of racial harassment against him, and that police were investigating it read more here »

Little Mish’s big night: The Little Missionary’s Day Nursery Sara Curry Awards and fundraiser last Thursday was definitely the best one yet in the last 11 years. The parents raised a cool $46,000 through an auction on Bidpal (an auction using smart phones). Comedian Jim Gaffigan — three of whose five kids have attended the school read more here »

Master of puppets: President Donald Trump’s first homecoming visit to New York City last week was met by a protest of thousands. During his brief May 4 stop in the city, Trump met with Australia’s prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid to honor the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral read more here »

Third Street Roots: At its spring gala at Capitale, at Grand St. and Bowery, on Mon., May 8, Third Street Music School will be honoring The Roots, Clarfeld Financial Advisors and Beverly Harper, the school’s director of safety for nearly two decades. The $500-a-ticket event (or $5,000 per table) raises funds to transform lives through read more here »

Theater drama: It seems that Lorcan Otway’s Theatre 80 on St. Mark’s Place will be picketed by “antifa” (anti-fascist) protesters on the evening of Sun., April 30, when the venue will be hosting a talk by the controversial word-slinger (and saxophonist) Gilad Atzmon. Neighborhood activist Bill Weinberg, who says he will be among the protesters, read more here »

Ex-bookstore blues: It’s not surprising that William Kelley, the director of the Village Alliance business improvement district, is ticked off about the old Barnes & Noble bookstore corner space at Sixth Ave. and Eighth St. having sat empty for more than three years. TD Bank has held the lease on the space all that time. read more here »