* Nov. 10 forum will break long silence on the South Street Seaport

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Roqui Jones, 2, at Vince Smith Hair Experience on Halloween. Oct. 31, 2014. 
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) 

Capt. Jonathan Boulware, interim president of the South Street Seaport Museum, will talk about the museum and the waterfront. The museum's galleries at 12 Fulton St. have been closed for the most part since Superstorm Sandy knocked out the electrical system in the museum's buildings on Oct. 29, 2012, but the museum occupies three buildings on Water Street that have remained open. The museum owns several ships that are berthed at Piers 16 and 15, but has been saying for several years that it can't maintain all of them, and will have to divest some of them. Boulware will undoubtedly talk about the prognosis for the museum.

To read the entire poem called "Wait," click here. For The New York Times obituary, click here.

Poets House will be holding a commemorative event in honor of Galway Kinnell on a date yet to be determined. Check the Poets House website for more information. Poets House is located at 10 River Terrace and is open from Tuesday to Saturday.

"Trinity to erect apartment towers," Crain's New York Business, 11/3/14. "For just over three centuries, Trinity Church has cautiously managed the 215 acres of downtown Manhattan it received from Britain's Queen Anne, turning it from productive farmland to industrial and office space," says Crain's New York Business. "In the next few weeks, the Episcopal church - whose property arm, Trinity Real Estate, oversees the 5.5 million square feet of office buildings it owns on the western fringe of SoHo in an area called Hudson Square - will try something new. It will venture into the high-stakes game of residential development. Led by Jason Pizer, who took over as chief executive four years ago, Trinity will build as many as four luxury residential towers there, as well as one partially residential property near Wall Street. The shift could throw open the door of its $3 billion real estate portfolio to a new era of unprecedented profits. But it could also expose it to more risk, especially given Trinity's ranking as a mere novice in the residential game." Crain's notes that, "Trinity's first step will come before the year-end, when it selects a partner to help rebuild its 25-story headquarters on Trinity Place. The building is across the street from Trinity's landmark church and linked to its famous cemetery - the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton, among others - via a pedestrian bridge. Work converting the office building to a sleek, 44-story Pelli Clarke Pelli-designed tower, topped by luxury residences, will begin next year." For the complete article, click here.

"State dollars go to build new 'headquarters' for trendy lower Manhattan firms," New York Business Journal, 10/30/14. "In the last three years, a land rush of modern tech and media firms have migrated into [Lower Manhattan] in search of cheap rents and new office space," says the New York Business Journal.  "Eager to keep the spigot open, development advocates are building the trendy, in-demand firms their own headquarters. The Alliance for Downtown New York, with help from $2.5 million in state economic development funds, will build a new 'Lower Manhattan HQ' at 150 Broadway, the group announced Thursday. The 12,500-square foot meeting, event and social gathering space for the tech and media professions will be open by next spring." For the complete article, click here.

"Cond� Nast Moves Into the World Trade Center as Lower Manhattan Is Remade," New York Times, 11/2/14. "For two days last weekend, moving trucks shuttled a total of 2,800 orange crates crammed with files, photographs and books from a Times Square office tower downtown to the tallest skyscraper in North America, 1 World Trade Center," says The New York Times. "It was the first wave in the migration of what will be 3,400 editors, writers and advertising executives at 18 magazines from Cond� Nast moving to the World Trade Center, confirming both the long-awaited reconstruction of the complex and a shift in the culture downtown. As the first 175 employees enter the lobby of the 104-story tower on Monday morning, they will be settling into a remade neighborhood no longer dominated by investment banks. Technology firms, advertising agencies and media companies have moved downtown as the number of financial institutions has declined. Luxury retailers, like Brooks Brothers, Saks Fifth Avenue, Salvatore Ferragamo and Tiffany & Company, have opened shops. The residential population has swelled to 61,000 from practically nothing." For the complete article, click here.

"Finally, Tenants at One World Trade Center," Wall Street Journal, 11/2/14. "Louis Medina, a security guard at One World Trade Center, couldn't control his emotions as he thought about Monday, the first day at work for the skyscraper's first group of office workers, 175 employees of publishing giant Cond� Nast," says the Wall Street Journal. 'Even 10 years from now, my son will ask me or my daughter will ask me, and I will be like, 'I was there when the building opened [and] my job was to protect the building,' " said Mr. Medina, before succumbing to tears. 'A lot of people don't get a chance to be a part of history even if it is a small part.' Mr. Medina's passion represents just one of the layers of meaning surrounding the reintroduction of daily office life on the site where more than 2,700 people lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. For many, Monday's milestone is largely economic, evidence of the continuing reinvigoration of lower Manhattan. And for Cond� Nast, the move from Times Square to One World Trade Center symbolizes a corporate pivot toward the digital future for the company that produces the New Yorker, Vogue and Vanity Fair." For the complete article, click here.

"Japanese Mega-Lounge Megu Appears to Have Suddenly Gone Under," Eater.com, 10/30/14. "Both outposts of the 10-year-old Kobe slinging clubstaurant seem to have gone dark," says Eater.com. "By all indications, Megu, the behemoth of a Japanese restaurant/lounge, is no longer operational. A tipster who had a private event scheduled at the Tribeca outpost writes in that the restaurant cancelled it at the last minute this week, with a staff member explaining that Megu had 'closed for good.' Calls to both that location and to Megu Midtown in the Trump Tower go unanswered, and the restaurant no longer exists on OpenTable. Facebook fans are also reporting that it's permanently closed." For the complete article, click here.

Downtown bulletin board

Boot Camp in Battery Park City: On Nov. 3, the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy is launching an adult fitness program, Boot Camp, with instructor Alan Courtenay. The classes are for all fitness levels. Courtenay tries to keep all workouts interactive, fun and exciting. The equipment used in the class includes bands, rope, kettle-bells and more. Alan Courtenay is the CEO/Founder of NYC Boot Camps and recipient of the High Impact Trainer of the Year award. His professional career in fitness training and management spans more than eight years during which he has trained adults of all ages and physical conditions. He taught physical education to children with the New York Department of Education for the prior five years. To pre-register, call (212) 267-9700, ext. 363, or email fbelliard@bpcparks.org. Dates: Nov. 3 to Dec. 17, 2014. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Time: 6:15 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. Place: 6 River Terrace. Cost: $264/package of 12 classes; $396/package of 18 classes. To pre-register, call (212) 267-9700, ext. 363, or email fbelliard@bpcparks.org. Pre-registration is required. Click here for more information.

Donations for Save The Children at Vince Smith Hair Experience: For the second year, Vince Smith Hair Experience at 300 Rector Place gave a Halloween party and photo shoot to benefit Save the Children. On Oct. 31, people stopped by the salon to get a professional portrait of themselves, their kids and their pets in costume for a $25 donation. Smith raised around $800 on Halloween, but is still accepting donations for Save The Children. "They do amazing work," he said. "They give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm." If you want to donate to Save The Children, go to Vince Smith Hair Experience at 300 Rector Place. It's open Tuesday to Sunday. For more information, call (212) 945-1590.

Stockings With Care: The Christmas holiday is a joyful time for many children but not for those in homeless shelters or whose families are struggling to buy necessities and have nothing left over for presents. In 1992, Battery Park City resident Rosalie Joseph, a casting director, and producer Tom Fontana started an organization called "Stockings With Care" (SWC) to bring some holiday happiness to these children. SWC works with several agencies that help families in crisis. The children make their wish lists, and social workers provide SWC with the name, gender and age of each child along with their wishes. Individual donors (aka "Santas"), corporations and an army of volunteers come together to purchase and wrap the gifts. They are then delivered anonymously to the parents before the holidays, ensuring parental dignity and creating holiday magic for the kids.

Last year over 1,000 children woke up to a miracle on Christmas morning. In the last 22 years, more than 40,000 children have benefited from Stockings with Care.

There are many ways to help with Stockings With Care. One way is to come to the SWC fundraiser on Monday, Nov. 17 at the Hudson Station Bar and Grill (440 Ninth Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets) from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Celebrities will be tending bar, with all proceeds going to Stockings With Care. The cover charge is $30 in advance; $40 at the door. The bartenders are contributing all of their tips to Stockings With Care.

Among the bartending celebrities will be Josh Lucas( Mysteries of Laura, Sweet Home Alabama), Nikki M. James (Tony Winner for Book of Mormon, Les Miserables), Orfeh (Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever), Andy Karl (Rocky, Legally Blonde, Jersey Boys), Natalie Toro (A Tale of Two Cities, Les Miserables), Laz Alonso (Mysteries of Laura, Southland, Avatar), Janina Gavankar (Mysteries of Laura, True Blood, The L Word), and Max Jenkins (Mysteries of Laura, Breaking Upwards).

For more information about the celebrity bartending event, and to buy tickets, click here. You must be at least 21 years old to attend this event.

For more information about Stockings With Care, including how to donate, how to become a "Santa" and how to help with the enormous job of wrapping thousands of presents, click here or
email jeremy@stockingswithcare.org or call (917) 991-5975. Presents will be wrapped on Dec. 11 through Dec. 14.

Asphalt Green Battery Park City expanding Pilates program: Due to overwhelming demand, Asphalt Green Battery Park City has launched a major expansion of its Pilates program, including eight dedicated Pilates Reformer classes each week. The new class schedule started on Oct. 27, with plans to grow the number of classes to over 15 per week in the coming months, adding a second room dedicated to Pilates. New equipment is also being added that will allow Asphalt Green to offer a wide array of classes and help accommodate various populations ranging from teens to the elderly. The programs will be geared to athletes, pre- and post-natal moms and populations with injuries as well as to casual fitness enthusiasts. For members, the new Pilates Reformer classes cost $45 for one class or $400 for a 10-session package. For non-members, the cost is $55 for one class or $500 for a 10-session package. For more information, click here.

Fundraiser: The Lilac Preservation Project, custodian of the landmarked lighthouse tender, Lilac, berthed at Pier 25 in Hudson River Park, is holding a cocktail fundraiser on Nov. 12 at Circle Rouge, 241 West Broadway. Proceeds from tickets and a silent auction will help to maintain the ship. Mary Habstritt, museum director and president of the Lilac Preservation Project, writes that, "Our friends at Schott NYC have donated one Classic Melton Wool Naval Pea Coat for our silent auction." She adds that, "While trying to buy tickets or donate, some of you have emailed about the unfortunate credit card glitch we are trying to resolve between Paypal and Eventbrite. If you are experiencing this difficulty, please reserve your tickets via email to events@lilacpreservationproject.org, and mail a check, in advance of the event, to: Lilac Preservation Project, 80 White St., New York, NY 10013." Time: 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Tickets: $50; $25 (Lilac volunteers); free to those who formerly served on the ship. For more information, click here.