Bits & Bytes  

 
Clipper City returns
Clipper City, New York City's only Tall Ship, was displaced by construction from its former moorings at Pier 17 in the South Street Seaport, but now has found a new berth. Beginning on Saturday, May 10, it has been tying up at slips 1 and 2 in the Hudson River at Battery Park.

At 158 feet long, Clipper City needs extra room to dock and to maneuver. Tom Berton, Clipper City's owner, said that everyone at Battery Park has been very accommodating. "We couldn't be more tickled and more excited to be in the park," he said.

The original Clipper City was built in Wisconsin as a cargo schooner just before the Civil War, then rebuilt from the original plans, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, and recently refurbished. The new, restored Clipper City can comfortably sail with 134 passengers.

The original Clipper City was decommissioned in 1890, but in 1984 naval architects DeJong & Lebet re-built her, with adaptations to meet modern safety requirements. The new Clipper City, a steel-hulled schooner carrying six fore-and-aft rigged sails and two square topsails on two steel masts, was operated as a Baltimore charter vessel for 20 years until falling into disrepair. She was extensively overhauled and refitted and has been sailing in New York harbor since 2009.

A variety of excursions are offered on Clipper City: Daytime sails to the Statue of Liberty, twilight sails, harbor lights sails and sails devoted to jazz, locally brewed craft beers and lobster and beer. There are gay and lesbian sails called "Out@Sea," sails with burlesque performers and special sails for kids. On July 4, Clipper City takes people to see the fireworks preceded by an on-board barbecue.

For more information about Clipper City and to buy tickets, click here.

New ferry service debuts
On Monday, May 19, New York Water Taxi will launch a new ferry service on the Hudson River that will link Pier 84 at West 44th Street and Brookfield Place/World Financial Center in Battery Park City. The service will debut with a free week of rides, coffee and donuts. Paid service will begin on May 26.

From Monday to Friday, ferries will make the 15-minute trip every morning and afternoon, with six trips a day in each direction. Initially, the round-trip fare will be $8. Weekly and monthly passes will become available in the coming weeks.  The first morning ferry will leave Battery Park City at 7:40 a.m. The first afternoon ferry will depart from Battery Park City at 4:45 p.m. The first morning ferry will leave Pier 84 at 8 a.m. with the first afternoon departure at 5:05 p.m.

"Luxe British shop Aspinal finds a home at Brookfield Place," New York Post, 5/13/14. British luxury-goods maker Aspinal of London will be coming to Brookfield Place in Battery Park City, says the New York Post. "The classic leather goods and accessories company that is a favorite of the royal family has signed a lease for just over 1,000 square feet at Brookfield Place. The jewel box-like store has 100 feet of windows overlooking the redesigned Winter Garden at the edge of the Hudson River." For the complete article, click here.

Citizen Preparedness Training Program
A "Citizen Preparedness Training Program" sponsored by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, other elected officials and Community Board 1 takes place on Monday, May 19 at 6 p.m. in the Southbridge Towers Community Room, 90 Beekman St. Through this program, approximately 100,000 New Yorkers will be provided with the tools and resources to prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond accordingly, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions. Trainings participants (one per family) will receive a free Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Starter Kit. Participants must register in advance at www.prepare.ny.gov or by calling (212) 681-4605.

Delury Park Spring Planting
The Friends of Delury Park at Fulton and Gold Streets are planning an Arts and Crafts Fair on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  All proceeds will go to the upkeep of the park. In addition, in conjunction with the Parks Department, there will be a Spring Planting Day on May 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The rain date for both is Sunday, May 18. Volunteers are welcome! For more information, click here.

One tube at the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday, May 16 through 5 a.m. Monday, May 19 as part of the project to replace the tunnel's original 1950s-era electrical switches and feeder cables.

The remaining tube will have one lane heading into Manhattan and one lane into Brooklyn. Motorists are advised to expect delays and use an alternate route if possible.

The work includes replacing the tunnel's 1950's electrical system, which provides the necessary   electrical power to run the tunnel's ventilation, lighting, drainage and communication systems.

It is with a mixture of regret and anticipation that I have decided to retire on June 1. For 27 years, I have built relationships within Milford Management, in the buildings that I oversee, and among residents and groups throughout this community. It is a measure of my good fortune that -- much as I would enjoy saying goodbye in person to every colleague, client, partner, friend, and neighbor I have come to know -- you are too numerous to reach individually. So please let this message convey how much I have enjoyed working with all of you, how much I will miss you, and how lucky I feel to have enjoyed the honor and privilege of being part of Battery Park City. I will remember my time here fondly, and will always be proud of having contributed to building (and then rebuilding) one of the most wonderful communities anywhere. Thank you, and best of luck to all of you in the years ahead.

From the editor:
When Lorraine Doyle came to Battery Park City in 1987, the Milford buildings, Liberty House and Liberty Terrace, had opened on Rector Place but Liberty Court still had a construction elevator on the outside. Liberty View had not yet been constructed and buildings that Doyle later managed for Milford were not yet in its portfolio. She was one of the people who helped to build Battery Park City, and after 9/11, helped it recover.

She described the sound of the south tower collapsing. "It sounded like a freight train," she said. For 11 days following the attack, she and other members of the staff, didn't leave. Her praise is effusive for "the dedicated supers who stayed in the neighborhood and the members of the building staff that were able to get back into the neighborhood," to help.

She remembered, among other things, the lack of food. The Red Cross delivered sandwiches and cold coffee "but the best thing," she recalled, "was when a dinner cruise ship moored in the yacht basin. Restaurants from the downtown area, that were closed due to the attacks, got together and prepared meals for the people working in the area. It was sad to see the weary workers sit down, exhausted, but good to see the looks on their faces once they realized they were getting a tasty meal."

Recalling that time, she said that she and the others felt that they had a responsibility. "These were people's homes," she said.  She spoke of the fear and uncertainty of those days - not knowing what might happen next.

She pulls a bag out from under her desk and opens it. It contains an air-purifying respirator. She says she will take it with her.

Doyle's office at Milford Management looks out over Battery Place. Passersby wave at her when they see her through the large window.

She says that she has mixed feelings about leaving. Having tended Battery Park City for so long, part of her is here, she says, but her family in Connecticut "is having too much fun" without her. She has a husband, children and grandchildren. She has been staying in Battery Park City during the week and going to Connecticut only on weekends.

She says that she wants to teach her grandchildren to sew, as her mother taught her. She might open a small business making herbal gelato, for which she is renowned by those who have tasted her recipe. She might volunteer at a hospice. When her mother went to hospice, Doyle noticed that no one came to see some of those who were there, and that made her sad.

She will surely continue to take care of people because that's what she does, that's who she is.

Thank you.

May 15 is going to be a busy day - too busy. For some reason, a lot of events have been scheduled for that day, mostly at the same time. Take your pick.

On May 15, President Obama will help to dedicate the National September 11 Memorial Museum. Although it opens to the general public on May 21, Lower Manhattan residents and business owners, the families of victims, 9/11 rescue and recovery workers, 9/11 survivors, first responders and World Trade Center building partners can visit the museum from May 15 to May 20.

If you are part of one of these groups, you can reserve a free ticket to preview the Museum during the Dedication Period when the museum will be open 24 hours a day. Reservations are required and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Children under the age of 6 do not need tickets for the Dedication Period but the historical exhibition may not be appropriate for visitors younger than 10. Adults accompanying younger visitors should exercise discretion before entering.

Click here for information on the Dedication Period.

When the museum opens to the public, tickets will be $24. For information and to buy tickets, click here.

An art student at Manhattan Youth. (Photo: Manhattan Youth)