What's new in Murray Hill for the week of Nov. 1...

This weekend, I saw an AWESOME exhibit at the Whitney Museum.  It was Lee Friedlander's America By Car.  The exhibit is a collection of photographs that were taken in a rental car on a road trip across America.  In other news, Brian Kavanagh (Democrat) won his third term in State Assembly for the East Side - including the Murray Hill area.  Murray Hill residents continue to voice their concern over the proposal to create "dedicated bus lanes".  The St. Giles Hotel auctioned off a signed Caroline Wozniacki tennis racket to benefit Sean Penn's Haiti relief charity.  Friday's fire in Murray Hill destroyed several popular hangouts.   Bedbugs have officially swept through all of New York City as they found their way into the Empire State Building.

The photos are interesting because they employ the rearview mirror, sideview mirror, windshield and side windows in a unique way, giving the pictures a 3-Dimensional feel and framing each picture.  The exhibit will be open until November 28th.  The Whitney Museum website has one of Friedlander's photos and you can check out any other exhibits here as well. Friedlander Exhibit

Brian Kavanagh beat Republican Dena Winokur in the election.  Kavanagh has lived in New York City for his entire life and he beat Winokur with 84 percent of the vote.  Election Results

"Dedicated bus lanes" are the concrete dividers between bus lanes and regular traffic that have been proposed in the Murray Hill area.  However, residents are seriously concerned.  Read More and See Slideshow

Proceeds from the sale of Wozniacki's racket will go to Haitian refugees.  The racket was on display at the hotel until October 31st, when the bidding ended.  More info

Frontier Coffee Shop and Byblos, a Lebanese restaurant were both destroyed by a 5-alarm fire in Murray Hill on Friday.  Frontier was a family run business and was very popular in the community.  They want to rebuild.  More Info

Though bedbugs have caused several New York businesses to close, the Empire State Building is such an iconic landmark it seems immune.  But, alas... it's true - See for yourself.  Though the city is considering getting trained dogs to sniff out the bugs and stop the problem.