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Argentine tourists Florencia Colacioppo and Noelia Pfeiffer are visiting New York City for nine days. In that time, they plan to see Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Chelsea and visit museums.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg toured the area of the Staten Island fire by helicopter Tuesday afternoon after firefighters worked through the night and into this morning to contain a blaze at the former Fresh Kills landfill, and managed to contain a brush fire on eastern Long Island.

More than 200 firefighters continue to fight a five alarm-fire at the former Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island. Fire officials say the cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion of piles of compost and mulch — all very dry from the lack of snow this winter.

The old adage is true: “If you build a system for mobile devices that allows Staten Islanders to find out when their bus will arrive, they will come.”

Chinese alt-folk outfit Shanren performs at Staten Island's Dock Street on Saturday night. Download its catchy song "Thirty Years."

Meet a group of Staten Islanders whose idea of a good time is tackling classic literature together: Mark Twain, Chaucer, Confucius, the Koran, even Henry Rollins.  

Parks officials have launched a pilot program to rehabilitate part of a coastal habitat at Great Kills Park on Staten Island. The project involves clearing two acres of a peninsula in the park known as Crooke’s Point, to root out invasive plant species, and eventually clear the way for planting new trees and shrubs that are native to the region.

The MTA is launching real-time bus information on Wednesday for the entire borough of Staten Island. 

Here are four arts institutions — all of which will have openings and host events this month — to check out in The Bronx, Staten Island and Southampton: Wavehill, The Bronx River Art Center, The Alice Austen House and The Parrish Art Museum.

This month, cultural institutions around the city are paying respect to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks through literature, visual arts, theater, dance, music, and film. Here's our guide to what's happening around town.

Monday marks the 350th anniversary of the founding of Staten Island (or Staaten Eylandt, as the Dutch called it). The borough is best known for its iconic orange ferry, the Fresh Kills Landfill and the Verrazano Bridge — but it has a rich history of ship building, boasts the oldest running cricket team in the U.S. and is home to the second oldest house in New York City.

For the past two weeks, 60 licensed pyrotechnicians have been wiring and packaging over 40,000 firework shells in preparation for the 35th annual Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks show. Check out a slideshow of the team preparing at an undisclosed pier in Staten Island.

Pig roasts, improv marathons, Revolutionary War tours and urban foraging. There's no shortage of things to do in the city this Independence Day weekend. Here's our shortlist of happenings around NYC.

Coming on June 15th the first in our latest batch of Radio Rookies stories, which will air every Wednesday and Thursday for the rest of the month.  First up, we'll hear from Alicia, who comes from a mixed-status home, meaning that half of her family are U.S. citizens, the other half are not.  Some people consider her an "anchor baby", but Alicia just feels confused about the expectations her parents have of her, as a citizen, and the guilt she feels that her sister lives under the fear of deportation.  And on Thursday a story about Facebook drama....  

On the docket for treatment were the 1893 bronze "Neptune Fountain" at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, a 1915 sculpture of the Civil War captain Major Clarence Barrett across from Staten Island Borough Hall, and Allen Newman's iconic "The Hiker" in Tompkinsville Park.

The solstice may not officially ring in summer till June 21, but that's no reason to hold off on celebrating this week's warm weather with family and friends (and a nice pair of white pants, perhaps) in one of the city's free public parks. Here's our shortlist to the best.

It's time to stash the sleds and snowgear and dust off the boogie board: There's a beach in your borough in which you can lounge, slather on some sunblock and enjoy a good read. Don't forget to leave the cigarettes at home — city beaches are now smoke-free.

Haiku by four Staten Island residents have won this year's Freshkills Park Haiku Contest. Contestants were asked to create haiku, which are poems of three lines with five, seven and five syllables, about the landfill-turned park. Click here to see the winning verse.

Henry Thompson, the CEO of the Community Health Center in Staten Island, is suffering from political whiplash.

After the clinic opened in 2006 – with nearly every bold-faced name in local politics in attendance – the clinic received a grant during the Bush administration two years later to build a new location. In 2009, the clinic received $1.3 million in stimulus dollars to expand hours and services.

Then came the federal health care overhaul last year, which provides $11 billion dollars to support and expand the network of clinics across the country.

But now, the clinic is one of six federally funded community health centers that could close if budget cuts passed by the House make it into a final compromise spending plan.

Staten Island hip hop promoter, radio and television personality DJ Megatron was shot and killed near his home in Staten Island at 2 A.M. on Sunday. DJ Megatron, whose given name was Corey McGriff, was 32.