Manhattan Monday

– It’s raining men. And scaffolding. And concrete. Construction workers are falling out of the sky on almost a weekly basis these days. Manhattan’s high-rise boom has created an 83% spike in construction accidents over the last year.

– Despite what my Punjabi cabbie told me last week, it looks like NYC’s massive Indian community is voting Clinton, as are many new citizens around Gotham.

– Approved by the state traffic commission: Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan. Although only 5% of Manhattan’s commuters drive to work, the plan (which must now be approved by the state legislature) will charge drivers $8 to drive below 60th Street on weekdays between 6am and 6pm.

– Verizon admits to overcharging NY’ers $14M on those little surcharges that crowd the bottom of your bill. That’s what they admit to, anyhow. Them pennies add up.

– DKNY tackily usurps the Ghost Bike memorials to cyclists killed by cars.

– Barista-free: new LES coffee joint makes your java with computers and pneumatic tubes. Mmmm, tubey.

– An 80-story Four Seasons hotel designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects will go up near Ground Zero. The building will include 143 “super-luxury” condos, some of which will exceed 6500 square feet. Construction to finish in three years, condos to sell out immediately, of course.

If you’re apartment hunting, the 2007 year-end Manhattan rental recap is out.