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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 1, No. 88 July 7, 2014
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Quote of the day:
"You know people who know people." - Dog walker Jeannie Neidich describing the network of people in Battery Park City and Tribeca who helped reunite a lost dog with its owner.
* View from the bridge: July 4 aboard Hornblower Infinity * Downtown dog: It took a village to search for lost beagle's owner * Bits & Bytes: Tribeca among USA's priciest zip codes; Ellis Island rehab; 50 West selling fast * Letter to the editor: Citi Bike racks welcome in Seaport, but not on Peck Slip * Lecture series to explore how cities can utilize technology * Community Board 1 meetings: week of July 7 * July 12 is 'City of Water Day' in New York harbor * Calendar
Fireworks on the East River. July 4, 2014. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
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Downtown on the water
VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE: JULY 4 ABOARD HORNBLOWER INFINITY
 | | New York harbor as seen from Hornblower Infinity. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on July 4, around 1,000 people showed up at Pier 40 on Houston Street ready to watch the fireworks and party on the Hornblower Infinity, the largest passenger ship in New York harbor.
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Appetizers and Champagne.
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The crew bustled around, seating everyone, making sure that they had appetizers, rolls and whatever they wanted to drink. With so many people to feed at one time, the kitchen was busy, producing pan after pan of chicken, salmon, vegetables and salad for the buffet tables and roast beef for the carvers. Fresh fruit, eclairs, cannolis and other pastries awaited for dessert.
It had been stormy earlier in the day, but by evening, the storm had lifted, leaving behind a dramatic residue of striated clouds. By 7 p.m., the Hornblower Infinity was still dockside. The storm had also left some turbulent water. Usually Capt. Shawn Ware would have backed the boat out into the Hudson River, but with an ebbing tide and wind blowing from the northwest, he was unable to back out. The 210-foot-long boat was angled with its stern against the dock and its bow projecting into the embayment.
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Capt. Shawn Ware.
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Carefully, Ware pivoted the vessel into a U-turn, steering it away from the pilings that remained from a long vanished pier, giving him less room to maneuver. Hornblower Infinity entered the Hudson River nose first.
Ware, who has been with Hornblower Cruises for 10 years, has been captain of the Hornblower Infinity ever since it came to New York harbor, two years ago. Built in 1991, it had previously been berthed in Florida. Its first public cruise in New York was on July 4, 2012.
As the boat edged into the river, the revelers crowded into the bow. They saw in front of them the wide expanse of the river, with Manhattan on one side and Jersey City on the other. The Hornblower Infinity headed south.
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The NYPD flyover.
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In the distance, light glinted on six NYPD helicopters that were approaching for a flyover of the East River, where large crowds had been assembled for hours. As the planes passed by, the Infinity neared the Statue of Liberty. The passengers seemed delighted by this double spectacle, but on the bridge there were other matters to deal with. A crew member had probably broken his finger when a door slammed on it. The ship's medic splinted it, but then there was the question of whether the injury could wait for a few hours until the boat returned to the dock around 11 p.m. or whether the NYPD should be summoned to take the man to a hospital.
Ware conferred with him and decided the best thing was not to wait. Within a few minutes, an NYPD boat pulled alongside the Infinity and the crew member was taken off.
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East River fireworks.
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Meanwhile, the harbor was filling with ships of all descriptions and the guests on the Infinity were busy taking pictures as the sun set.
Ware positioned the Infinity so that the passengers could see the fireworks from Jersey City as well as the Macy's fireworks on the East River. It was dark by now. The Jersey fireworks had started a few minutes before the East River fireworks, but when the Macy's display began, there was no doubt about which way the ship should face. Surrounded by many other boats, Ware cautiously moved the Infinity for a better view.
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East River fireworks.
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The passengers on the Infinity were thrilled. They clapped, they shouted, they sang, they took pictures. All too soon, the fireworks were over. All of the boats sounded their horns and began to disperse.
At a leisurely pace, the Hornblower Infinity headed back up the Hudson River, toward Pier 40. The eating and drinking and dancing continued.
Around 11 p.m., the boat finally pulled back into the dock as Ware inched it close enough for the lines to be tossed around the bollards.
The guests began to trickle off, though some stayed below for just one more dance in the disco. But Ware's duties weren't finished. A group of Australians appeared, wanting to be photographed with him. He cheerfully obliged, even letting them take pictures of each other at the Infinity's wheel, wearing his captain's hat.
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Julio Martinez and Sandra Chavez.
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A couple also showed up on the bridge - Sandra Chavez and Julio Martinez. Ware and the Infinity's first mate, Enrique Gonzalez, congratulated them. Chavez was beaming. "We got engaged on the boat!" she said. "I didn't know what was happening! I thought Julio had fallen down," she said of the moment when he dropped to one knee and proposed.
Martinez said that he had chosen Hornblower Infinity for this special night because he liked the look of the boat and because it served a real dinner "not just barbecued chicken and potato salad." Both he and Chavez work in the food business.
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Hornblower Infinity. (Photo: Scott Barrow)
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He said that he had suggested walking around the boat after dinner. Chavez thought they were just going for a stroll. Actually, Martinez was looking for a place to ask her to marry him. He decided on the bow, which is where they were after the fireworks.
"You could get married on the boat," Gonzalez suggested. Both he and Ware are licensed to perform marriages. Gonzalez said he had done 10 so far this year.
Chavez and Martinez didn't say no.
Pictures were taken of the couple with the captain. Then they went happily off into the night, arm in arm. But Ware still wasn't done. " I can't leave until all the kids leave," he said. "I have to tuck the boat in."
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer | | East River fireworks. |
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The Paris Cafe | 119 South Street | 212.240.9797 | thepariscafeNYC.com | @theparisnyc
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Downtown dog
IT TOOK A VILLAGE TO SEARCH FOR LOST BEAGLE'S OWNER
 On the morning of July 3, members of the Battery Park City Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) found a beagle wandering around near Chambers and Warren Streets in Battery Park City. He had a collar but no leash and no tags. It took a village to find his owner. The PEPs contacted Paula Galloway of Battery Park City Dogs and Deb Dilorio of Amsterdog, who keep an eye out for all dogs and dog-related problems in Battery Park City. They said he wasn't a Battery Park City dog, so it seemed possible, or likely, that he came from Tribeca. Shortly after the dog was found, Galloway happened to run into Jeannie Neidich, a dog walker who lives on West Street and has many Tribeca customers, and asked her if she knew this dog. She didn't. The PEPs, meanwhile, put a leash on the dog, hoping he would lead them to where he lived. The dog led them to Dudley's Paw, a pet store on Greenwich and Duane Streets. No one there knew him.
Galloway and Neidich took the dog to two vets to be scanned for microchips. They found that he was microchipped with a chip from China but not registered in the United States. The PEPs took him back and a foster home was found for him with a Battery Park City woman named Carol.
Neidich, concerned, started walking the streets of Tribeca asking people if they knew the dog. No one did. "I walked all along North Moore Street," she said, "showing his picture to everyone." Among those to whom she showed the photo was another dog walker named Scott and an artist named Paul.
On July 6, Neidich got a phone call. Paul had seen a flyer in Soho about a lost dog. "Scott sent me a photo of the poster," said Neidich. She called the phone number on the poster and got voice mail. When she finally connected with the man who had put up the lost dog notice, he accurately described the dog and the dog's collar. The owner's name was Neil. He had been in New York City only a short while, he said, and didn't know that dogs here are supposed to be on leash at all times and tagged. He said that he lived in Soho. The dog's name, it turned out, was Freddie.
"I called Carol," said Neidich and told her, "I think we've found the owner!" Carol wanted him to come to her apartment and wanted Neidich to be there. By the time she arrived, however, Neil was already there. "Freddie responded to his name immediately!" Carol reported. "It's definitely his dog."
Carol gave Neil a leash for Freddie, and Neidich walked with them to a pet store on Chambers Street to get a tag.
"You need to get Freddie a U.S. chip," she told Neil. "And Freddie should never be off leash."
Neidich said that Neil was very grateful. He wanted to reward the people who had found and cared for Freddie. They suggested a donation to Amsterdog, Dilorio's non-profit organization that rescues dogs, particularly shelter dogs.
How did it come about that Freddie and Neil were reunited? Neidich shrugged. "You know people who know people," she said.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Bits & Bytes
TRIBECA AMONG USA'S PRICIEST ZIP CODES; ELLIS ISLAND REHAB;
50 WEST SELLING FAST; JOE SITT BUYS 120 GREENWICH ST.
 | | Jacob Krumgalz, owner of the Blue Planet Grill at 120 Greenwich St. The restaurant is in a building just purchased by Joe Sitt for $35.5 million. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"ZIP Codes of the Super Rich," Citilab.com, 7/3/14. An article in Citilab.com looks at "the neighborhoods across America where housing values have reached stratospheric prices." Tribeca is only No. 9 on the list, outpaced by several neighborhoods in California, the Boston Prudential Center, Fisher Island in Miami Beach/Fort Lauderdale, and Sagaponack in the Hamptons. But Lower Manhattan does have the distinction of having New York City's most expensive listing, a three-unit penthouse at the Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park "at a nearly surreal $118.5 million, or about $7,600 per square foot," says the article. "In some cases, wealthy homeowners aren't even living in these investment properties, which serve as a new class of assets that are outpacing gains in even the booming stock market." For the complete article, click here. "Ellis Island gets rehabbed for public tours," Crain's New York Business, 7/6/14. "For decades, tourists to Ellis Island have been barred from visiting the enormous south-side hospital complex, where immigrants were screened and treated for infectious diseases and other ailments," says Crain's New York Business. "But Save Ellis Island, a small nonprofit charged with rehabilitating those 30 buildings and providing education programs, is hoping to lead tours there for the general public by the end of this summer. The initiative will start out as a modest pilot program, with a limited number of available tickets. It is, however, a big step toward increasing tourism to an island that is largely in the shadow of its more popular neighbor, the Statue of Liberty. In late May, the island's first-ever commercial tenant [Statue Cruises] moved into the hospital complex, providing critical cash to help with the renovation process. Such an enterprise could become a model for future funding." For the complete article, click here. "Shopper alert: Downtown is getting back to business," Crain's New York Business, 7/7/14. Everything's coming up roses in Lower Manhattan, according to Crain's New York Business. "During the course of the next year, 635,000 square feet of retail space will open, to be followed by another 200,000 square feet of shops by late 2016. All told, it is one of the largest additions to the retail landscape in the city's history," says Crain's. "Those who recently have inked leases range from venerable names as Tiffany & Co. to obscure Cambodian eatery Num Pang. Saks Fifth Avenue is said to be closing a deal as well. All are eager to serve not just throngs of tourists and the area's growing office population-which now includes hundreds of tech and media companies-but also the swelling residential population. The Downtown Alliance estimated there are now 61,000 people living in lower Manhattan. What's more, they have an average household income of $204,000, more than double the citywide average. Meanwhile, in excess of 11.5 million visitors are expected to flood the area this year. Some will stay in downtown's 18 hotels, a number expected to double in the next two years." For the complete article, click here. "Time Equities launches sales at 50 West," The Real Deal, 7/7/14. Condos at 50 West St. are selling like hotcakes, The Real Deal reports. "Time Equities has launched sales at its 64-story luxury residential tower at 50 West Street and Rector Street. Following a 30-day pre-sale period, 30 percent of the building's 191 units have already sold," says The Real Deal. "The average selling price at 50 West so far has been $2,400 per square foot, according to a release from the developer. The most expensive units, which sold for $5,000 per foot, were half-floor penthouse homes, while one-bedrooms on lower floors have gone for as low as $1,400 per square foot. Prices per unit start at about $1.6 million. The residences range from a 1,045-square-foot one-bedroom condominium to a 9,000-square-foot, five-bedroom duplex penthouse." For the complete article, click here. "Joe Sitt does downtown, buys retail space near WTC," New York Post, 7/7/14. "After buying up numerous retail properties in the prime Fifth Avenue and Soho corridors, real estate magnate Joe Sitt has turned his sights on downtown," says the New York Post. "Sitt, the head of Thor Equities, has contracted to pay $35.5 million for the retail site at 120 Greenwich St. on the corner of Albany Street, just south of the World Trade Center and next to the eastern side of the W Hotel, sources said. There are already buyouts in place for the current retailers, Blue Planet Grill and an Asian Fusion Spot, sources added." For the complete article, click here. Classes at the Community Center at Stuyvesant High School: Register now for yoga, summer tennis and babysitter's training classes at the Stuyvesant High School Community Center, 345 Chambers St. Babysitter's training is a two-day course for 11 to 15 year olds, run by the American Red Cross and offered on July 17 and 18 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Graduates receive a certificate. Space is limited. $100; $75 (Community Center members). Yoga classes are offered on Mondays from July 28 to Sept. 22, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The instructor, Molly Heron, has practiced Hatha Yoga for more than 25 years and teaches at the Integral Yoga Institute in Greenwich Village. $144; $128 (Community Center members); $20, (drop ins). Summer tennis is for 8 to 14 year olds at all levels of experience and ability. The course runs from July 21 to Aug. 8 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. $450 (for nine sessions); $60 (drop ins). For more information or to register, call (646) 210-4292. Click here for more information.
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Letter to the Editor
CITI BIKE RACKS WELCOME IN SEAPORT, BUT NOT ON PECK SLIP
 | A Citi Bike rack installed in the plaza at Peck Slip. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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To the editor:
First off, thank you for the incredible work you do. I'm a big fan and am always impressed with the quality and quantity of your reporting!
I don't know if you've seen the Citi Bike rack installed on Peck Slip, but I wanted to make you aware of it if you haven't.
I've been so heartened to see what use the open space has had since the community had the western area cleared. Whether it's my teenage daughter playing soccer or toddlers wheeling around on scooters or dogs getting exercise, the space is being used constantly every evening.
My personal dream is that the space be developed into a Euro-style piazza. Install parking bollards and allow neighboring restaurants to put in a few tables while maintaining a large open area for the kids. Simple.
But, regardless of what direction the park takes, I can't see a large swath of Citi Bikes being a part of it. I love the Citi Bike program, but those of us who have lived in the neighborhood for years have yearned for usable open space free from the claws of developers.
Apparently no one who was working on developing the park for the community was consulted on placement of the rack by the DOT [New York City Department of Transportation]. I desperately hope we're not stuck with another Petrosino Square situation here. [Petrosino Square is a small Soho park where the DOT placed Citi Bikes much to the displeasure of local residents, who sued to have them removed, but lost the suit.]
Dirk Kaufman
From the editor:
We contacted Citi Bike for more information on how the decision was made to install bike racks in the Peck Slip plaza. Dani Simons, director of marketing and external affairs for NYC Bicycle Share, operator of Citi Bike, replied. "The new bike share station at Peck Slip and Front Street was installed as a result of requests from your neighbors at the South Street Seaport and Community Board 1," she said. "The station location was carefully reviewed to meet DOT technical siting requirements to ensure traffic safety. NYC DOT and NYC Bicycle Share will continue to monitor all station locations for safety issues and usage, and will make adjustments to station locations and sizes as necessary." Simons also said, "If you want to reach out to DOT, you can e-mail them for issues like this one at [email protected]." Letters to editor are welcome:
We welcome letters to the editor. Email them to [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit them for clarity and length.
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LECTURE SERIES TO EXPLORE HOW CITIES CAN UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY
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The first in a six-part lecture series on how cities can utilize technology will tackle the subject of transportation, including how to expand ferry service between Lower Manhattan, Northern Brooklyn and Western Queens. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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The Downtown Alliance has taken note of the fact that there are now more than 600 technology companies in Lower Manhattan and wants to get them talking to each other, dip into their brain power and expertise to improve the neighborhood, and get other tech companies to come on down to Manhattan's version of Silicon Valley.
With this in mind, the Downtown Alliance established a tech sector development enterprise called LaunchLM. On July 8, LaunchLM will stage the first in a series of six Tuesday lectures at the South Street Seaport entitled "Big Ideas for Smart Cities." It will explore how technology can be harnessed to make urban living more efficient, more productive, more enjoyable and less stressful. The emphasis will be on Lower Manhattan, but much of what is discussed will be applicable in other cities. The lecture series will take place on Tuesday evenings from July 8 to August 19. The topics will include transportation; open space and place making; infrastructure; sustainability; arts and culture and communication economy. At the end of the series, an advisory committee will discuss what was learned and determine a framework for a final report - a Digital Roadmap for Lower Manhattan. "This lecture series will bring together some of Lower Manhattan's smartest and most creative minds to rethink how we use tech to literally shape and reshape our world," said Jessica Lappin, president of the Alliance for Downtown New York. The first lecture on various aspects of transportation, will explore transit's role in the creation of a true 24/7 community in Lower Manhattan; expanding ferry service between Lower Manhattan, Northern Brooklyn and Western Queens; hardware-based taxi-hailing devices, their use and public impact; utilizing crowdsourcing in identifying and responding to traffic needs; and solutions for reducing the impact of freight activity in cities.
The panel and participants for the transportation lecture were selected by the Control Group and by the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation. Participants include Eric Goldwyn from Columbia University's School of Architecture, Preservation & Planning; Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer; Justin Schultz, senior project manager at MTA's Fulton Center Project; Joe Dack from New York City's Department of Transportation; and Florent Pyre, co-founder of tech company Placemeter. Place: Fulton and Front Streets in the South Street Seaport. Time: 6:30 p.m. Free.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of July 7 | |
On Tuesday, July 8, CB1's Youth and Education Committee will discus universal pre-K for New York City's 4-year-olds. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Community Board 1 meetings are held at 49-51 Chambers St., Room 709, starting at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Bring photo ID to enter the building. All are welcome to attend.
July 8: Youth and Education Committee
* Universal Pre-Kindergarten for NYC's 4-year-olds - Presentation by Erick Bergquist, Lead Organizer, Manhattan and Staten Island, UPK Outreach Campaign, NYC Dept. of Education
* New York Road Runners (NYRR) Youth Programs - Presentation by Michael Rodgers, Vice President
July 9: Tribeca Committee
* Bogardus Garden public design workshop - Update by Anne Patterson, Board Member, Friends of Bogardus Garden
* Schematic Geometric and Landscape Design for NYC DDC Bogardus Plaza Project HWPLZ012M - Presentation by Signe Nielsen from Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects, PC
* 429-435 Greenwich St. a/k/a 62 Laight St., application for alteration of liquor license for Dylan Prime - Resolution
* 429 Greenwich St., application for sidewalk cafe for Dylan Prime - Resolution
* 113 Reade St., application for restaurant liquor license for 113 Reade Street LLC d/b/a Cafeteria - Discussion and possible resolution
* 205 Hudson St., application for sidewalk cafe for AFNYC LLC d/b/a American Flatbread NYC - Resolution
* 59 Reade St., application for alteration of liquor license to permit sidewalk caf� for 59 MACT Corp. d/b/a Maxwells - Resolution
* 349 Greenwich St., application for restaurant liquor license for Greenwich Rest. LLC - Resolution
* 79 Chambers St., application for liquor license for Borids Lidukhover, on behalf of entity to be formed - Resolution
* Tribeca Committee sidewalk cafe guidelines - Discussion and possible committee vote
The following notices have been received for renewal, upgrade, or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses or sidewalk cafe permits:
* 105 Hudson St., application for renewal of restaurant liquor license for Nobu Associates LP d/b/a Nobu
* 62-66 Thomas St., application for renewal of restaurant liquor license for Food Scope New York Inc., d/b/a Megu
July 10: Landmarks Committee
* 33 Peck Slip, application for storefront renovation - Resolution
* 233 Water St., application for fa�ade alternation - Resolution
* Governors Island Bldg 301 facade alteration - Resolution
* 319 Broadway, application to amend previous LPC approval of awning - Resolution
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JULY 12 IS 'CITY OF WATER DAY' IN NEW YORK HARBOR | City of Water Day. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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"This is a 'city of water,'" Roland Lewis, president of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, has said. He calls New York harbor a "great resource" that's there for the public to use and that "has great potential."
But many people who live and work in the New York City region know little about its waterways and have never been on the boats that ply the harbor.
The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, (MWA) a consortium of more than 700 organizations that work, study and play in New York harbor, invites all New Yorkers to participate in the 7th annual City of Water Day on Saturday July 12. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Governors Island, in Hoboken's Maxwell Place Park and in neighborhoods throughout New York City, Yonkers and New Jersey.
Among the highlights, there will be free boat rides on commercial and recreational vessels, a cardboard kayak race, activities for adults and children, informational exhibits, food and live music.
Throughout the day, free ferries provided by New York Water Taxi will run between Yankee Pier on Governors Island and Pier 14 in Hoboken.
This will be the second year for the cardboard kayak race. Twenty teams of up to six people each construct kayaks from 10 sheets of corrugated cardboard, three rolls of black gaffing tape and 10 rolls of clear waterproof packing tape. Then two paddlers in each kayak race their craft to and from a marker positioned 25 yards from the starting line.
The race is a hoot. "Boats that disintegrate mid-race will be disqualified," say the rules. The design and build starts at noon on Governors Island's Kayak Hill near Pier 101. The race begins at 2:30 p.m. with an award ceremony at 4 p.m.
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Pegasus and John J. Harvey, two of the boats that will be offering free rides on City of Water Day.
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Those who prefer to entrust themselves to more traditional vessels can sign up for a free boat ride, many with narration on some aspect of the harbor. Aboard Classic Harbor Line's schooner Adirondack, for instance, passengers can hear about "The Life of the Merchant Mariner." On the fireboat John J. Harvey, guests will learn about the boat's heroic performance following the Sept. 11 attack, and will watch (and perhaps get wet) as the gutsy fireboat shoots plumes of water into the air. Aboard the tug Pegasus, built in 1907 and a National Historic Landmark, they will get insights into the ways that the harbor shaped the city's history and will learn about Pegasus' service in both World Wars and her evolution from steam to diesel power and from riveted to welded construction.
Ten boats are participating in the free boat tours. A fully refundable reservation fee of $5 is charged per passenger. Those who attend their booked tours will get a credit for the reservation fee within 15 business days. The fee will not be refunded for a ticket holder who does not attend.
Some boat tour tickets have already been released but a second set was released starting on July 7 at noon. To see the choices and make a reservation, click here.
For more information about City of Water Day, including a list of all activities on Governors Island and in Hoboken and a list of neighborhood events, click here.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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CALENDAR: Week of July 7
 | | The South Street Seaport Museum's 103-year-old barque, Peking, is open for tours, Wednesdays to Sundays. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
July 8: Opening party for "Tugboats: Workhorses of New York Harbor," an exhibit of photographs by John Skelson aboard the Lilac, a historic lighthouse tender docked at Pier 25. Skelson's photographs document the powerful and colorful array of tugs that keep our harbor working. Time: 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Cash bar. (Those under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.) Exhibit runs through July 31. For more information about the Lilac, click here.
July 9: The Museum of Jewish Heritage presents a Steven Spielberg film festival with free screenings every Wednesday. "Jurassic Park" in which cloned dinosaurs run amok is this week's movie. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 4 p.m. on the day of each screening. Through Aug. 13. Place: 36 Battery Place. Time: 6:30 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. July 10: The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy's annual River and Blues Festival kicks off with the Christian Scott Quintet. Scott, born in New Orleans, plays trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn and soprano trombone. He is a composer as well as a performer. Place: Wagner Park in Battery Park City. Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. July 11: Every Friday through Aug. 22, join a master drummer in Battery Park City's Wagner Park for Sunset Jams on the Hudson. Improvise on African, Caribbean and Latin rhythms. Drums provided, or bring your own. Place: Wagner Park. Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. July 12: The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy presents a West Indian Family Dance. Mane Kadang performs music from Senegal, Guinea and the Ivory Coast with dances led by the Kotchegna Dance Company. Dance or just listen! For all ages. No partners or experience necessary. Place: Esplanade Plaze (on the Hudson River at Liberty Street). Time: 6:30 pm. to 8 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. Ongoing: An exhibit in the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's arts center on Governors Island examines a pivotal time in Trisha Brown's early career as an artist and choreographer, as well as a particularly fertile moment for artistic production in New York City. With videos, photographs and installations, "Trisha Brown: Embodied Practice and Site-Specificity" highlights Brown's community of performers and artists, and the Lower Manhattan in which they lived and created. The exhibit shows Brown's investigation of simple movements such as walking or dressing, and the built environment, specifically through performances that took place on buildings inside and out, museum walls, parks, cobblestone streets, and other non-traditional performance spaces. The exhibition also bridges the transition in Brown's practice from site- and gallery-based work to proscenium stage work, for which she became well-known throughout the 1980s and beyond. Through Sept. 28. Times: Fridays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: Poets House presents its 22nd annual showcase, a free exhibit featuring all of the new poetry books and poetry-related texts published in the United States in a single year from over 650 commercial, university, and independent presses. Through Aug. 16. Place: 10 River Terrace. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "From Drills to Drums: Civil War Life on Governors Island." A program for kids, who will see first hand the lives of soldiers, civilians and prisoners on the island in the 19th century. No tickets or reservations required, but large school or day camp groups should call (212) 825-3045. Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Place: Governors Island. Time: 10:20 a.m. Also at 11:20 a.m. Free. Ongoing: Hike Through History. The most comprehensive tour of Governors Island National Monument takes in nearly every highlight in the historic district. No tickets or reservations required. Visitors should be prepared to stand for a full 90 minutes and walk a distance of about 1.5 miles. Wednesdays to Sundays. Place: Governors Island. Meet at Soissons Dock. Time: 2 p.m. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "A Town Known as Auschwitz" is an exhibit of photographs at the Museum of Jewish Heritage tracing the history of a town called "Oswiecim" in what is now Poland, where Jews and non-Jews lived side by side for centuries. When German forces occupied the town in September 1939, they renamed it "Auschwitz" and established a concentration and death camp there. More than 1 million people died at Auschwitz, including 90 percent of the town's Jews. The museum is at 36 Battery Place. For information the exhibit, click here. For information on the museum's hours and admission fees, click here.
Ongoing: Poets House in Battery Park City presents "A Painter and His Poets," the first major retrospective show of George Schneeman's collaborative paintings, collages, prints, and books, with portraits of his poet friends, spanning 40 years. "A sort of utopia in the visual field filled with pleasure, quickness and wit" is how Schneeman himself described his collaborative work with poets. Exhibition on view through Saturday, Sept. 20, during regular Poets House hours. Place: 10 River Terrace. Free. For information about Poets House, click here.
Ongoing: The South Street Seaport Museum's lightship Ambrose and its barque Peking welcome visitors Wednesdays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Pier 16 (on the East River at Fulton Street). The Ambrose, launched in 1908, once guided large ships through the Ambrose Channel into New York harbor. Peking was launched in Hamburg, Germany in 1911, one of the last commercial sailing ships ever built. She was used to carry goods from Europe to South America and to return to Europe with nitrate. The museum's Visitors Services associates explain all of the fascinating details of the ships and their relevance to the history of New York as a port city. Cost: $12 (adults); $8 (students, 12-24 and seniors); $5 (children 2-11); under 2, free. To buy tickets, click here.
Ongoing: "Defining Lines: Maps from the 1700s and early 1800s" at the Fraunces Tavern Museum. Twenty-seven maps provide a perspective on the evolving nation's place in history. A map from 1804, never before exhibited, shows the U.S. postal routes. Place: 54 Pearl St. Time: Noon to 5 p.m., daily. Admission fees: $7; $4 (seniors, students with ID, children, 6 to 8 years old. Children, 5 and under, free. Active military with ID, free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The National Museum of the American Indian is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission. It offers free films, docent-led tours of its exhibitions and tours of its premises, the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, designed by Cass Gilbert. The building, which was completed in 1907, is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One Bowling Green. Phone: (212) 514-3700. For the museum's calendar, click here.
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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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