In the past five years, the population of wild boar in New York state and across the East Coast has slowly increased, leading to a spike not only in sightings but also in consumption of the swine.

On Wednesday, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company announced that it had commissioned artist Daniel Arsham, who was born in 1980, to create the décor for a series of events at the Park Avenue Armory that are part of the company's final “Legacy Tour” performances. Following the performances, which will be staged from December 29 to 31, the company will permanently disband.

A Sony disc warehouse near Enfield, North London was set on fire before midnight on Monday. The warehouse manages the distribution in the U.K. and Ireland of packaged Sony media on Blu-ray, DVD and CD discs.

Aretha Franklin, fresh off of her Brooklyn debut this past week, will headline Rangel's 81st birthday fundraising gala at the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel on Wednesday.

On Thursday night, Aretha Franklin will perform at Coney Island for free as part of Marty Markowitz's Seaside Summer Concert Series.

The City of Newark, N.J. is no newcomer to lights, camera and action. It's been the set for Steven Spielberg’s 2005 “War of the Worlds,” Eminem’s 2009 music video “Not Afraid,” and of course for "Brick City." But on Thursday, Mayor Cory A. Booker announced an official entity to assist filmmakers and TV producers: the Newark Office of Film and Television (NOFT).

An international ensemble of dancers, drummers and martial artists are set to perform at the Asia Society's "Hip Hop Kung Fu" event on Wednesday night.

The Long Island City, Queens wholesale bakery Pain D'Avignon will now have a lot more dough on its hands — and not just the kind it uses for its famous artisanal bread.

On Thursday, organizers and affiliates of the 21st annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York gathered in Battery Park City's Wagner Park for a traditional dragon boat awakening ceremony. The event included a blessing of the boat and a martial arts performance. Check out a slideshow here.

Out-of-towners in Downtown Brooklyn can now use 78 new directional signs to keep from getting lost in the borough. The signs are complete with colorful maps, points of interest and quotes paying homage to Brooklyn residents. The last one was installed a few weeks ago.

The new stores are expected to generate more rental income for the landlord of Grand Central, the MTA, along with more foot traffic.

The two-year, $627,000 grant will be used to expand the center's staff and to undertake new projects in public health, philanthropies and the arts.

With the temperature in New York City heating up to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s going to take a lot more than a bottle of ice water and a good air conditioning unit to keep you cool and composed. Here are our top ten suggestions for taking advantage of this week’s heat.

The Mars Bar closed its doors on Tuesday due to New York City health code violations. But even if it cleans up its act, the watering hole will not re-open on the block any time soon due to a developer's plans to demolish the existing structure and rebuild it as an apartment building.

It looks like the final chapter for Borders, the Michigan-based big-box book, music and media seller. The company could begin closing its remaining 399 stores, five of which are in New York City, as early as Friday.

Jeffrey Atkins, better-known as the 35-year-old rapper Ja Rule, was sentenced to 28 months in prison on Monday after admitting to not filing tax returns for five years. The Saddle River, New Jersey native was also ordered to pay over $1.1 million in unpaid taxes on record royalties and live performances.

After nearly 60 years of performing its contemporary choreographic collages worldwide, the company will return to New York for the final performances of its farewell Legacy Tour. On Monday, the Park Avenue Armory announced that it would host the company's last shows.

Long before Facebook friends, RSS feeds and online shopping became part of everyday lingo, the Canadian media guru Marshall McLuhan studied the development of mass communication and the effects it would have on America's social landscape.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” raked in $158.4 million domestically over the weekend, breaking records which "The Dark Knight" had held, according to Warner Bros. The film's world premiere marks the end (for now) to the adventures of Harry Potter. WNYC reached out to book publishers, teen lit reviewers and librarians to find out what new titles have the potential to fill the gap.

After six years of planning and restoration, “Ecuadorian Festival” created by the artist and educator Camilo Egas in 1932, has been unveiled at The New School’s Sheila C. Johnson Design Center.