NPA billboards (seen top left) proliferated on corners all over Manhattan. That alone raised eyebrows, but it was those small "win these posters inside" signs sitting atop the ads that were really suspect. And
though you really could win a poster as advertised, there was
something fishy about the offer, as if they were used to skirt the regulation by changing intent.
Ryan Fitzgibbon, spokeswoman for the City Department of Buildings,
told the New York Times:
“If outdoor advertisement is allowed, a permit from D.O.B. must be obtained in order to post an advertisement or a sign,” she said, adding, “Advertisements are not allowed on construction fences.”
The DOB has its work cut out for it—there are
thousands of illegal advertisement structures in the city—but it seems that DOB has been making progress. On May 28, 2009, for the first time ever, the DOB
forcibly removed an illegal ad at 174 Broadway. What's more,
The New York Post reports that a federal appeals court ruling in February finally authorized the city to enforce regulations that the billboard industry has hotly contested since the Giuliani administration. This has resulted in a "blitz against illegal signs and billboards along the city's busiest roadways," with 53 voluntarily removed.
It's quite possible you've noticed the results in your own neighborhood. As of late, the DOB has also been focusing on street level billboards owned by NPA. The sites first get covered in white paper, before being taken down completely. Note the photo above showing the results of these efforts, on corner of Mulberry and Kenmare.
What about the signs advertising free posters?
Mulberry Street's century old Mulberry Street Bar was shuttered by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on March 22 after receiving 47 violation points, two critical, in a recent inspection. Handwritten signs posted in the window of the establishment claim the order is due to a lapsed permit and a document taped to the window ostensibly supports that claim. But that seems open for debate. 
Looks like the market for clean and organized tschotke stores is heating up in Little Italy! Laurel Jewelry & Co. is now open at 184-186 Mulberry, between Kenmare and Broome (map). 
Scout Vintage Tshirts quietly opened up at 227 Mulberry Street last week. The store's stock is supplied by The Clothing Warehouse of Atlanta, who have a retail outlet nearby on Prince Street, between Elizabeth and Bowery.
Though "soon to be" is subjective. New York Magazine reported on the coming Soho Synagogue back in 2005 and its planned opening that fall. More recently, The New York Observer reported the Synagogue rhas signed a lease at 43 Crosby Street (map) last year. Their imminent opening seems likely now; Global Graphica walked by in February when the windows were papered over and Coming Soon signs in place. 
A public hearing will be held tonight at the NYU Silver Building at 32 Waverly Place, Room 206 (map) to address a request by Village Tart, opened earlier this year on the corner of Kenmare and Mulberry, seeking a permit for an unenclosed sidewalk cafe for ten tables and 20 seats.
After posting about a potential new Hotel Toshi unit on Mott Street, Robert Chan, proprietor of Hotel Toshi, called NYC The Blog for a little chat and to offer information about his plans in Nolita, specifically at 280 Mulberry Street and on Mott Street, and imparted surprising news... 
A hand painted advertisement for Lexus was recently added to the wall adjacent to a long empty lot on Mulberry Street at the corner of Prince.
Something Borrowed, starring Kate Hudson 
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