By my count, I reviewed 93 shows in 2012, beginning with Jackie Hoffman's "A Hanukkah Carol" and ending with a revival of the musical "Working." Here's my list of the best and the worst that came in between.

1. 'Once' Based on the 2006 Irish film, this heartbreaking, musically and visually stunning musical about a celibate romance between a single mother and dazed songwriter... » more

Critics tend to open these 10-best lists by complaining that the year in question was not up to snuff, that it was filled with mediocre movies and indicative of the death of cinema etc.

But if 2012 is any representation of anything, and who knows if it is, the movies are in fact alive and well. This was one of the most exciting moviegoing years in recent memory, offering an assortment of blazingly... » more

Seven weeks after canceling the 2012 marathon in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, the New York Road Runners released a plan Thursday to compensate runners.

Those who were entered in the race can either receive a refund of the full entrance fee, receive guaranteed entry to the 2013, 2014, or 2015 races or have guaranteed entrance to the 2013 half marathon in March.

The 47,500 marathon... » more

The two NYPD officers involved in the so-called East Village "rape cops" trial turned themselves in Thursday and began serving their sentences.

Kenneth Moreno, 43, and Franklin Mata, 29, surrendered in Manhattan Supreme Court and were taken into custody, officials said. Both were convicted of official misconduct, and Moreno was sentenced to one year behind bars, and Mata got 60 days.

The... » more

While Superstorm Sandy swept away 29,100 private sector jobs last month, the Empire state racked up 83,500 more private sector gigs than it had this time last year, the New York State Department of Labor announced Thursday. Sectors with the largest gains during the year were professional and business services, followed by educational and health services.

The state's unemployment rate dipped... » more

Judd Apatow has conquered the world of comedies, and now the man behind flicks such as "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" wants to try his hand at the Broadway stage.

"I miss doing something where I'm interacting more with the audience," Apatow said in the January issue of GQ magazine. "I like the idea of writing something and rewriting it every night... » more

A handful of celebs are lending their style skills in the name of superstorm Sandy relief.

Mark Sanchez, Pharrell Williams and model Carolyn Murphy are among those who designed a new line of T-shirts benefiting Waves for Water, a nonprofit created by surfer Jon Rose, focusing on the families and businesses of the New York and New Jersey surf-based coastal communities that were hit by the storm.

The... » more

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday that the city's incarceration rate had dropped 32% during his 11 years in office. The rate for the rest of the nation, by comparison, went up 5% during the same period.

"New York's crime rate has gone down more quickly and more steeply than the rest of the country and we are the model for low crime in this nation," Bloomberg said in a statement.

The... » more

Django Unchained 3.5 stars Directed by Quentin Tarantino Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson Rated R Opens Dec. 25

Quentin Tarantino continues his historical revisionism after "Inglorious Basterds," diverting his genre-busting attention from World War II to the Antebellum South. It's an inspired move and, when it comes to sheer entertainment... » more

The East River Ferry might be here to stay.

The city wants to extend the popular service until at least 2019 and is seeking an operator to helm it, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday.

Some 1.6 million passengers have taken the ferry, surpassing the 1.3 million that were expected for the entire pilot program, which launched in 2011 and is contracted through June 2014.

"Ferry... » more