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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 2, No. 18 Feb. 10, 2015
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Quote of the day:
"CB1 does not support the segmentation of the proposed plan."
- Community Board 1 Landmarks Committee resolution, commenting on The Howard Hughes Corporation's request for CB1 approval of its proposals for the landmarked parts of the South Street Seaport.
* Community Board 1 is wary of Howard Hughes Corporation's proposals for Seaport * Bits & Bytes: Museum of Jewish Heritage's money troubles; NYSE leaving 20 Broad St.
* Letter to the editor: Food trucks on Water Street in the South Street Seaport
* Downtown Bulletin Board: Restaurant Week; CPR training; Blue Smoke brunch
* Valentine's Day cruises on New York harbor
* Community Board 1 meetings: Week of Feb. 9
* African Burial Ground observes African-American History Month
* Calendar: Week of Feb. 9
PARKING: Alternate Side Parking Regulations will be suspended on Feb. 12 for Lincoln's Birthday. Payment at parking meters remains in effect throughout the City.
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here.
All ads in Downtown Post NYC have clickable links. Click on an ad for more information.
A card from an exhibit at Poets House called "Winter Wedding: Holiday Cards by Poets."
(Courtesy of Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, Emory University)
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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 IS WARY OF HOWARD HUGHES CORPORATION'S SEGMENTED PROPOSALS FOR LANDMARKED PARTS OF SEAPORT | | Diane Harris Brown addressing Community Board 1's full board meeting on Feb. 5, 2015 on the subject of The Howard Hughes Corporation's proposals for the landmarked segments of the South Street Seaport. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
For an hour, a stream of people spoke at PS/IS 89 on Feb. 5 prior to Community Board 1's final discussion and vote on The Howard Hughes Corporation's proposals to revamp the landmarked parts of the South Street Seaport. Many of the speakers went on about whether they did, or did not like the 494-foot-tall apartment tower that Hughes has said it wants to erect in the Seaport on the site of the New Market Building. Finally, Community Board 1 member Paul Hovitz piped up. "Tell them," he said to CB1 chair Catherine McVay Hughes, "that the tower isn't on the agenda tonight."  | |
Roger Byrom.
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As Hovitz said, the tower wasn't on the agenda, and that was a problem. When the public comment section of the meeting was over, Roger Byrom, chair of CB1's Landmarks Committee, stood behind the podium to present CB1's resolution regarding the Howard Hughes proposals, and almost the first word out of his mouth was "segmentation" and the obstacles it presented. " Unfortunately, many of the comments that we heard tonight are not going to be considered because they are not landmarks issues," he told the audience. "The ULURP [Uniform Land Use Review Procedure], which entails the tower, won't be considered [by Community Board 1 and the City Planning Commission] until late in 2015 or in 2016."
However, some of the proposals that Howard Hughes put before the Community Board for consideration and a vote would be affected by that tower and by other things not on that evening's agenda. The Community Board was being asked to vote on proposals with a host of unknowns, and it had already seen where that could lead.
In 2012, when The Howard Hughes Corporation presented its proposals for Pier 17 where it is now building a new shopping mall, Hughes said, for instance, that it would retain the Link Building that fronted the pier, and give it a new facade. That was what the Community Board and the City's Landmarks Preservation Commission approved. Now, in 2015, Hughes said it wanted to tear the Link Building down.
The Community Board clearly felt that it had been burned by voting with insufficient information and having Howard Hughes change its mind about what it planned to do. As required, CB1 responded to each of the 10 propositions on the Howard Hughes list with a yes, a no, or a maybe, but the resolution was peppered with protective language in case Howard Hughes should again do something other than what it had promised.
CB1 agrees to the Howard Hughes proposal to "remove the Pier 17 western edge head-house" said the resolution, "but only on condition that the current proposed view corridors do not change in future design revisions."
A Howard Hughes request to erect a clear polymer canopy above the roof of the shopping mall on Pier 17 elicited "we want assurances that the usable public 'lawn' space on the roof does not decrease in size or become 'de facto' private space." That part of the CB1 resolution went on to say, "The screening of mechanical equipment is appropriate as long as there are no future design changes or intrusions to the existing, approved application for Pier 17."
Most problematic was the Howard Hughes proposal to build a 5,000-square-foot structure for the South Street Seaport Museum's use on Pier 16. This "cannot be contemplated until there is a solid design and placement to be considered," said the resolution.
The Howard Hughes idea that landmarked Schermerhorn Row, now largely occupied by the museum, could be turned into affordable housing was likewise viewed skeptically and "not considered appropriate" unless and until "the South Street Seaport Museum's needs for a strong presence on Schermerhorn Row as well as a visual presence on South Street for a connection to the water are addressed first."
The long, multipronged resolution ended with these words: "CB1 does not support the segmentation of the proposed plan."
"We ask that any changes to the reviewed application be referred to CB1 for detailed consideration before it is submitted to LPC [Landmarks Preservation Commission]," said Byrom. "Again, for  | |
Chris Curry, listening to people criticize the Howard Hughes proposals for the South Street Seaport.
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members of the public, what you're hearing here is that we're being asked to make changes to a Pier 17 application that we approved in 2012. It's really tough for us to understand the overall plan when three years later, we're being asked to amend one element of it." Then Byrom addressed Chris Curry, senior executive vice president of The Howard Hughes Corporation, who was in the audience. "Chris cannot deny that at that first meeting we had three years ago, we said we need a master plan and we were told there wasn't a master plan. We're developing a master plan now, but I think it's frustrating the public, it's frustrating everybody that having this segmented approach, is really not bringing the community, the public and everybody together to get this project through the board."
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Borough of Manhattan President Gale Brewer at the Community Board 1 meeting on Feb. 5.
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In a letter to Meenakshi Srinivasan, chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, dated Feb. 5, Borough of Manhattan President Gale Brewer and City Councilmember Margaret Chin, harped on the same theme.
"What makes this application particularly challenging to evaluate is the fact that a number of the application parts relate to a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) application that has not yet been scoped, submitted and certified," they said. "Because of this, the community is being asked to evaluate elements that have not yet been decided upon with any degree of certainty or finality; negotiations throughout ULURP will presumably result in significant changes to the project that will have real implications for anything reviewed by LPC. We therefore feel it is premature to consider many of the parts of this landmarks application until a broader project plan has been certified and ask that you consider only those parts of the application that are not contingent on factors likely to change."
Despite elaborate politeness on all sides, there can be no doubt that this is a tooth and nail struggle over the South Street Seaport, which is the last surviving neighborhood of largely 19th-century buildings in Manhattan. If The Howard Hughes Corporation gets to build its tower, it stands to make a great deal of money in the current real estate market - even more than it is making now because it is paying less than $3.50 a square foot for its South Street Seaport leaseholds.
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Michael Kramer commenting on the Howard Hughes proposals at the Feb. 5 CB1 meeting.
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By segmenting its Seaport proposals, HHC can obscure the ramifications of what it has requested and what the Community Board, the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the City Planning Commission have heretofore accepted.
At the Feb. 5 Community Board meeting, Michael Kramer, speaking as a member of Save Our Seaport (a group dedicated to preserving the historic Seaport and its maritime history), gave several examples of how this has worked. For instance, in 2012, he claimed, The Howard Hughes Corporation made a big fuss over the importance of the Link Building because having that building on Pier 17 enabled HHC to qualify for Large-Scale Development status on the pier. Large-Scale Development status can affect zoning and enable use, bulk and parking configurations that would otherwise not be allowed. Once that had been obtained, HHC no longer needed the Link Building, said Kramer, and this year asked to demolish it.
As another example of the benefits to Howard Hughes of segmenting its Seaport proposals, Kramer mentioned that in 2012, HHC had promised to renovate Pier 17, using existing pilings and the underlying structure of the existing mall rather than tearing them down. But in 2014, everything was completely demolished. "This allowed [Howard Hughes] to avoid extra scrutiny in ULURP," said Kramer. "We now know that they demolished Pier 17's platform, its infrastructure and its head-house to avoid an Environmental Impact Study."
With reason to be wary of HHC's intentions, Roger Byrom became a little testy at one point, as he discussed an omission in the Howard Hughes list of items to be addressed by the CB1 Landmarks Committee.
An "area that isn't in the application, and to be honest, I don't know why it isn't in the application, is the extension of the Beekman Street road," he said. "We were told that it's not in the application because it's going to come up in the ULURP. I did a bit of research and I can't understand why it's not part of the LPC application."
Even though Howard Hughes hadn't formally raised the question of extending Beekman Street, the CB 1 resolution commented on this prospect anyway. It said that extending Beekman and Fulton Streets east of the FDR Drive would "introduce disruptive and dangerous vehicular traffic, undermining the historic character of the district and directly contradicting the pedestrianization goals of the Seaport Working Group."
"It also directly contradicts why we're moving the Tin Building back," said Byrom. (Howard Hughes had asked that the Tin Building be moved 30 feet to the east, and the Community Board had agreed to that.) "We're moving the Tin Building back so that people like me can run straight through [a proposed plaza in front of the Tin Building]. If I'm running through there and get plowed down by a limo going to a yet-to-be-built tower, it would be kind of counterproductive."
Michael Kramer had an explanation for why HHC had not put the Beekman Street extension into its proposal. He said that he believed that Howard Hughes was trying to avoid a City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR), which might have an outcome that HHC didn't like. "CB1 must see this as another attempt to avoid CEQR by revisiting this issue in 2015 and see that a 'Loop Road' is a mere placeholder for Seaport Tower taxis and parking," he said.
Community Board 1's resolution regarding The Howard Hughes Corporation's proposals for the landmarked parts of the Seaport will go the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which is free to heed it or not. When the LPC has a hearing on the HHC proposal, the public may attend and make comments.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Bits & Bytes
MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE'S MONEY TROUBLES; TRIBECA BUILDING ASKS $24M; NYSE LEAVING 20 BROAD ST.; MALAYSIAN KITCHEN; NOBU  | | The Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Modest TriBeCa building hits market at $24M," Crain's New York Business, 2/6/15. "A five-story building in TriBeCa at 51 White St. is hitting the market for nearly $24 million, a whopping $1,420 per square foot," says Crain's New York Business. "James Nelson, a broker with Cushman & Wakefield who is marketing the 16,908-square-foot property, said the price appeared to be a bargain at a time when vacant land is selling for more than $1,000 per square foot." The article notes that, "The property comes with 6,365 square feet of unused development rights, meaning a new buyer of the residential rental property could build up to two additional levels on top of the building-so long as the buyer secures approval from the city's Landmark's Preservation Commission, since that area is a historic district." For the complete article, click here. "NYSE giving up Broad Street home in cost-cutting move," New York Post, 2/6/15. "The parent of the New York Stock Exchange is giving up one of its longtime homes in the Financial District in a move that could also generate millions for the company," says the New York Post. "IntercontinentalExchange Group has given notice that the NYSE will vacate 381,000 square feet at 20 Broad St. when its lease expires in August 2016, brokers at CBRE said under condition of anonymity. The NYSE had the right to extend the term of the sublease until 2041. Atlanta-based ICE, led by Jeffrey Sprecher, has been cutting costs since the $8.2 billion acquisition of NYSE Euronext in 2013. ICE isn't reducing NYSE's presence at 11 Wall St., which is undergoing a remodel and where its 221-year-old stock trading floor operates." For the complete article, click here. "Museum of Jewish Heritage Faces Struggle Over Pace of Change," Wall Street Journal, 2/8/15. "When Bruce Ratner took over as chairman of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in June, he and museum officials expressed optimism that a new era was beginning for the 17-year-old institution perched at the tip of lower Manhattan," says the Wall Street Journal. "Nearly eight months later, there is little disagreement over direction. The museum, which explores Jewish life before, during and after the Holocaust, needs to boost annual attendance, which is far below that of comparable city institutions, despite a respected collection. It must stabilize its balance sheet, which has been in the red five of the last six years. And it needs to undertake significant projects, such as reimagining key sections of its core exhibit. But a deep divide has emerged between Mr. Ratner, a prominent real-estate developer, and museum officials over the urgency of these problems, the roles of each leader and some of the solutions. Mr. Ratner, who lost more than 100 family members in the Holocaust, said he remains a passionate believer in the museum's mission and potential. But he said he has been taken aback by the scope of its challenges." For the complete article, click here. "Malaysian Kitchen docks in Battery Park City, but how's the Rendang?" Eater.com, 2/9/15. Malaysian Kitchen at 21 South End Ave. opened this month, and Eater critic Robert Sietsema ate his way through the menu. On the whole, he was happy. "The national luncheon obsession of nasi lemak ($14) was nicely executed, consisting of a boiled egg, coconut rice, onion sambal, chicken curry, and fried micro-anchovies on a single platter, a tour-de-force that succeeded in looking paler than it tasted," he reported. "By all means, get it if you're dining solo. If the menu has one overarching defect, it's that the food was not spicy enough, though consistently well prepared. In a city with a decreasing number of good Malaysian restaurants, Malaysian Kitchen is definitely as asset, especially if you happen to be down near Battery Park City and Chinatown seems too far away. And, of course, you might go just for that amazing water view." For the complete article, click here. "Nobu is leaving Tribeca for Wall Street," New York Post, 2/9/15."Nobu, for 20 years one of New York's most storied and influential restaurants, is leaving its Tribeca home for 195 Broadway - in the heart of the Wall Street/World Trade Center area," says the New York Post. "By early 2017, Nobu will open in 14,384 square feet at the 'wedding cake,' the former AT&T building, including ground-floor space on the Fulton Street side and a portion of the lower level. Nobu and little-sister spot Nobu Next Door currently have 9,000 square feet at 105 Hudson St., where they will remain open through 2016, Nobu managing partner Drew Nieporent said." For the complete article, click here.
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Letter to the editor
FOOD TRUCKS ON WATER STREET IN THE SEAPORT
Food trucks on Water Street in front of Bowne Stationers, Bowne Printers and Sal Polisi's woodcarving shop. June 29, 2014. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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To the editor:
(Re: Bits & Bytes, Food trucks in the South Street Seaport, DPNYC, 2/5/15). Sal Polisi, woodcarver, strenuously complained to Jonathan Boulware, the South Street Seaport Museum's interim president, about the food trucks parked alongside Titanic Park. It was hard to see what Boulware could have done about it but they angered Sal no end.
This kind of thing is just plain tacky.
Charlie Deroko
From the editor:
Community Board 1 also complained about the food trucks, repeatedly. After a while, there were fewer of them, and they were parked so that they no longer blocked the corner of Fulton Street and Water Street, where Bowne Stationers, Bowne Printers and Sal Polisi's woodcarving shop are located, but they never went away. They were there for the entire summer.
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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Downtown bulletin board
RESTAURANT WEEK IN LOWER MANHATTAN; ASPHALT GREEN SUMMER DAY CAMP; CPR TRAINING; WEEKEND BRUNCH AT BLUE SMOKE
 | Enrollment is now open for Asphalt Green Battery Park City's summer day camp for children ages 4 � to 15 years old. Scholarship applications are being accepted through Feb. 13. Click here for more information. (Photo: Asphalt Green)
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Restaurant Week: "Restaurant Week" is actually two weeks. It runs from Feb. 16 to March 7 with discounted meals at hundreds of New York City restaurants. During Restaurant Week, a three-course lunch costs $25 and a three-course dinner costs $38 at participating restaurants, plus tax and tip. Reservations are now being accepted. In Lower Manhattan, Restaurant Week offers include: 2 West (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); American Cut (dinner, Monday to Friday); Atrio Wine Bar and Restaurant (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday and Sunday dinner); BLT Bar & Grill (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, lunch, brunch and dinner); Blue Smoke (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, lunch, brunch and dinner); Bobby Van's Steakhouse & Grill/Broad Street (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); The Capital Grille Wall Street (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); Church & Dey (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); Cipriani Wall Street (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); City Hall Restaurant (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); Delmonico's Restaurant (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); El Vez (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday lunch/brunch and dinner); Felice 15 Gold Street (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday lunch/brunch and dinner); Fino Ristorante Italiano (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); Les Halles Downtown (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, dinner); Little Park (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); MarkJoseph Steakhouse (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, dinner); Morton's the Steakhouse, World Trade Center (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, dinner); Mr. Chow's New York Tribeca (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, dinner); Nobu New York (lunch, Monday to Friday); Nobu Next Door (dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, lunch, brunch, dinner); Sarabeth's Tribeca (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, dinner); Saz�n (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, lunch/brunch); Tamarind Tribeca (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); Thalassa Restaurant (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday); Tribeca Grill (lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, Sunday, lunch, brunch and dinner).
For more information, and to make reservations, click here.
Asphalt Green Battery Park City Summer Day Camp: Enrollment is now open for Asphalt Green's summer day camp for children ages 4 � to 15 years old. Asphalt Green at 212 North End Ave., has programs for age-specific groups: Pee Wee Camp (4 � - 6 years), Junior Camp (6-8 years), Senior Camp (8-13 years) and Counselors in Training (14 - 15 years). Camp is in session from June 29 to Aug. 21, with five separate sessions. The fee to attend for the entire eight weeks ranges from $5,750 to $6,250, depending on age, however, scholarships are available. Scholarship applications are being accepted through Feb. 13, 2015. Click here for directions on how to apply. Asphalt Green is holding monthly open houses through May to introduce the camp program and staff. The next open house is on March 22 from 11 a.m. to noon. Click here for more information. CPR training: The FDNY's Mobile CPR Unit is holding a free training in CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) on Feb. 12. Around 160,000 people a year die from sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting. CPR helps to increase survival rates by maintaining blood flow to the heart and brain until help arrives. The compressions-only training program is taught by certified FDNY EMS personnel who show how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) and how to perform CPR, using a mannequin. Where: Assembly Hall (behind Judson Memorial Church), 239 Thompson St., downstairs (wheelchair accessible). Time: 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Space is limited. RSVP to Jean Grillo, Team Chief, Tribeca CERT, at [email protected] or call (212) 267-1915 to make a reservation to attend. Blue Smoke inaugurates weekend brunch: Blue Smoke Battery Park City is now serving brunch on weekends. The menu features Southern specialties such as waffles made with White Lily flour ($15), shrimp and grits ($20) and powdered sugar beignets ($7). Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Place: 255 Vesey St. For more information, click here.
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VALENTINE'S DAY CRUISES ON NEW YORK HARBOR | | This picture was taken aboard Hornblower Hybrid on New Year's Eve, but a Valentine's Day cruise might prove to be equally romantic. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
A Valentine's Day cruise on New York harbor with good company, good food and dazzling views seems to be just the ticket for a lot of New Yorkers. The Valentine's Day brunch and dinner cruises on Hornblower Hybrid are already sold out, but the Classic Harbor Line still has some room on its lovely, intimate yacht, Manhattan.  | |
Brunch cruise on the Manhattan.
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On Feb. 14 at 9:30 p.m. and again on Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., couples can enjoy Champagne and sparkling wines paired with hors d'oeuvres on the "Champagne and Aphrodisiacs Pairing Cruise" ($76 a person). On Feb. 14 at 1:45 p.m., guests on the Manhattan can partake of wine, cheese and chocolate during a cruise of almost three hours ($104 a person.) This cruise will be repeated (wine and cheese only, no chocolate) on March 28, April 11 and then at intervals through Dec. 19 with a different wine region featured each time. A brunch cruise that circumnavigates the island of Manhattan (2.75 hours) is offered on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 at 10 a.m. with a buffet of bagels and pastries, fresh fruit, glazed ham, salad, quiche and waffles, and one complimentary beverage ($88 a person). The cruises leave from Chelsea Piers at 22nd Street and West Street. For more information and to book tickets, click here.  | |
Classic Harbor Line's yacht, Manhattan, on the Hudson River.
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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of Feb. 9 | A proposal for berms to run through historic Battery Park, which might mitigate future flooding. On Feb. 9, CB1's Planning Committee got an update on NY Rising and its proposals to protect Lower Manhattan from future storms. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Community Board 1 meetings take place at 49-51 Chambers St, Room 709, starting at 6 p.m. unless otherwise stated. All are welcome to attend. Bring photo ID to enter the building.
Feb. 9: Planning Committee * Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) - Update by Roland Lewis, President, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance & Michael Porto, WEDG Program Manager
* NY Rising - Update by CB1 staff
Feb. 10: Youth & Education Committee
* Pre-K for All - Presentation by Emily Petrone, Manhattan Borough Outreach Manager
* Governor's Education Budget - Resolution
* State grants to middle schools - Discussion
* Advocating for new school seats - Discussion
Feb. 11: Tribeca Committee
* Worth Street Reconstruction Project - Preliminary presentation by the Department of Design and Construction
* 101 Murray St. ("St. John's site") demolition - Presentation
* NYC Police Museum Fair, Friday June 19, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., North Moore Street between West and Greenwich Streets - Resolution
* Tribeca Park (Walker Street, Beach Street between St. John's Lane and Ave. of the Americas) temporary public artwork - Presentation by Jennifer Lantzas, Public Art Coordinator, Parks Department and Nicholas Holiber, artist
* Tribeca Community School Block Party street activity permit application for Ericsson Place between Varick and Hudson Streets, Saturday, May 16, 2015 - Resolution
* Department of Transportation Street Seats application for space in front of Laughing Man Coffee, 84 Duane St. - Resolution
* Street Activity Permit Application by Tribeca Family Festival, Saturday April 25, 2015, Greenwich, Beach, North Moore, Franklin, Harrison, Jay, Duane and Reade Streets - Resolution
* Street permit application by Taste of Tribeca on Saturday May 16, 2015, Duane Street between Greenwich and Hudson Streets and Reade and Jay Streets - Resolution
* Pace University Community Needs Assessment Student Study - Presentation by Michael Levine, CB1 Land Use Consultant
* Review of Map of Public Pay Telephones in CB1
The following notices have been received for renewal, upgrade, or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses or sidewalk cafe permits:
* 17 Murray St., application for renewal of liquor license for The Dark Horse Tavern
* 275 Church St., application for renewal of liquor license for Via Vai Pizzeria, Inc
* 305 Church St., application for renewal of restaurant liquor license for Mexma LLC d/b/a Los Americanos
* 345 Greenwich St., application for corporate change for LT & LT LLC d/b/a Viet Caf�
* 375 Greenwich St., application for renewal of liquor license for Home Boy Restaurant d/b/a Tribeca Grill
* 228 West Broadway, application for renewal of liquor license for the Bubble Lounge
* 16 N. Moore St., application for renewal of sidewalk cafe for Reba Realty Corp. d/b/a Walker's
Feb. 12: Landmarks Committee
* 115 South Street, St. for rooftop addition - Resolution
* 463 Greenwich St., application to extend height of elevator bulkhead - Resolution
* 440 Greenwich St., application for exterior restoration and storefront infill - Resolution
Feb. 16: Office Closed - President's Day
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AFRICAN BURIAL GROUND NATIONAL MONUMENT OBSERVES AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH WITH FILMS, LECTURES AND MORE | Sean Ghazala, a National Park Service guide, pointing to a map incised into the outdoor memorial of the African Burial Ground showing the approximate boundaries of the original cemetery, which was used between the 1640s and 1794 to bury slaves and other people of African descent. Originally, the cemetery covered 6.6 acres. The memorial near Broadway and Duane Street is three-quarters of an acre.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Throughout February, the African Burial Ground National Monument at 290 Broadway, 1st floor, celebrates African American History Month with an array of activities and special events.
The African Burial Ground is a 17th- and 18th-century cemetery that was rediscovered in 1991 when construction began on a federal office building in Lower Manhattan. In 1993, the site was preserved as a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior and was later designated as a National Monument by Presidential Proclamation on Feb. 27, 2006. The National Monument is part of an original 6.6-acre site containing the remains of approximately 15,000 people, making it the largest and oldest African cemetery excavated in North America.
The schedule is subject to change. All events and activities are free and open to the public, first come, first served. For more information, call (212) 637-2019 or click here
Feb. 11: 1 p.m.: Lecture by Herb Boyd, co-editor of "The Diary of Malcolm X" and author of the forthcoming "Black Detroit - A People's History," on the importance and controversy surrounding the film, "Selma," and the connections to the current activism in the wake of the recent shooting deaths of unarmed black youth by police officers.
Feb. 12: Noon: Screening of "Spirit of a Culture: Cane River Creoles"
Feb. 14: Noon: Screening of "The City that Lit the World" from New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Feb. 17: Noon: Screening of "Booker T. Washington: The Life and the Legacy"
Feb. 19: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.: A Reenactment and Commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the 26th U.S. Colored Troops
Feb. 21: Noon: Screening of "Never Lose Sight of Freedom" from Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
Feb. 27: 12:30 p.m.: Dramatic performance by David Mills on the works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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CALENDAR: Week of Feb. 9
 | A detail of a valentine for Ted Berrigan by Alice Notley, part of an exhibit called "Winter Wedding: Holiday Cards by Poets." The exhibit is at Poets House, 10 River Terrace, through March 21. (Courtesy of Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, Emory University),
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Feb. 11: Gary P. Zola, author of "We Called Him Rabbi Abraham," talks with Jonathan Sarna, Brandeis University, about Lincoln and the Jews at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. From the time of Abraham Lincoln's presidency to the present day, American Jews have viewed him as a sympathetic figure. Two leading historians of American Judaism consider how Lincoln acquired his exceptional status. Place: 36 Battery Place. Time: 7 p.m. Tickets: $15; $12 (members). To buy tickets, click here. Feb. 14: In celebration of Valentine's Day, Poets House presents Albert Lamorisse's timeless children's film classic, "The Red Balloon." Afterward, children will make their own floating valentines in the form of hot-air balloon mobiles. Place: 10 River Terrace. Time: 11 a.m. Suggested donation, $5 per child. For more information, click here. Ongoing: The Children's Saturday Morning Show will bring live music, games, stories, puppetry, magic and more to Hudson Eats on Saturday mornings. Every Saturday through March 14. Place: Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey St. Time: Shows at 11 a.m. and noon. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy's 2015 Annual Art Exhibition of artwork created in the Conservancy's free art programs such as Figure al Fresco, Elements of Nature Drawing, Art + Games, and Preschool Art. Place: 75 Battery Place. Time: The exhibition will be on view weekdays from Jan. 26 to March 27, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Free.
Ongoing: The Woolworth Building was designed by Cass Gilbert to house the offices of the F. W. Woolworth Company and was the tallest building in the world from 1913 until 1930. With its ornamental gothic-style exterior, it dominated the New York City skyline and served as an icon of American ingenuity with state of the art steel construction, fireproofing and high-speed elevators and it was dubbed "the Cathedral of Commerce." The building is still privately owned and operated, and has long been closed to the public. Tours of its magnificent landmarked lobby featuring marble, mosaics, and murals have only recently been made available and can be taken for 30-minutes, 60-minutes or 90-minutes. Custom and Private tours for groups of 10 - 35 can also be arranged. Place: 233 Broadway. Various times. Tickets: $20, $30 and $45, depending on the length of the tour. For more information and to buy tickets, click here. Ongoing: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in February, The Howard Hughes Corporation in partnership with FiDiFamilies.com and sponsor New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital invites local families inside the Community Cube at the South Street Seaport. Children will have a chance to partake in music, arts, crafts, film and yoga for kids. Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The Jewish Art Salon presents "Lashon Hara: On the Consequences of Hate Speech." This exhibit examines the power of words, both within hate speech and as "a catalyst for salvation" The exhibit features several mixed media textile works by Robin Atlas. Place: The Anne Frank Center USA (44 Park Place). Time: Tuesdays through Saturdays (except holidays), 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets: $8 (adults); $5 (students and seniors 65 and over); Free for children ages 8 and under.
Through Feb. 27, 2015. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: An exhibit at Poets House called "Winter Wedding: Holiday Cards by Poets" is a compendium of imaginative and sometimes touching holiday greetings. The exhibit has been drawn from the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library at Emory University and was curated by Kevin Young and Lisa Chinn. See "Happy Holidays" greetings from Langston Hughes, "Seasons Greetings" from Seamus and Marie Heaney and handmade valentines exchanged by Alice Notley and Ted Berrigan. This exhibition explores the vibrant, often funny, and always fascinating portraits of time, affection and ties of love and friendship. The exhibition is on view during library hours through March 21, 2015. Place: 10 River Terrace. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family" opened on Nov. 14 and continues through Jan. 10, 2016. The exhibit includes more than 300 examples of beautifully crafted jewelery, most of it made by the Yazzie family, with some from the National Museum of the American Indian's collection. Through a video, photographs and a handsome catalog, the exhibit shows how the jewelry expresses Navajo cultural values and way of life inspired by a majestic landscape of buttes, mesas and desert. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and on Thursdays until 8 p.m.; closed December 25. Admission is free.
Ongoing: The Skyscraper Museum presents "Times Square, 1984: The Postmodern Movement," on view through Feb. 15, 2015. Times Square today is bright and crowded - a tourist mecca, entertainment district, retail powerhouse and pedestrianized precinct that matches in vitality, both economic and populist, any decade of its storied past. But 30 years ago, the future of Times Square was in limbo - caught between a series of false starts at clean-slate urban renewal by New York City and New York State and an emerging philosophy of urbanism that favored history, preservationist values, electric signs and semiotics, and delirious diversity. Place: 39 Battery Place. Open, Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Admission: $5; $2.50 (students and seniors). 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: The lobby of the South Street Seaport Museum at 12 Fulton St. on Schermerhorn Row is open three days a week with interpretive displays and activities. Access to the museum's upstairs galleries is by appointment or for education programs only. For private tours of Schermerhorn Row and its old hotels, email [email protected]. Lobby access: Fridays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ongoing: The South Street Seaport Museum's lightship Ambrose and its barque Peking welcome visitors Fridays 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. In addition, a guide to the Ambrose can be downloaded from the Internet by clicking here. 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.
Ongoing: "Give Me Liberty," a solo exhibition of new works by Brooklyn-based artist Sylvanus Shaw, is at the Fraunces Tavern Museum. In this site-specific exhibition, Shaw utilizes images from the Museum's permanent collection, invoking imagery of early American statehood in media ranging from oil on panel to collaged holograms, security envelopes, and other mediums.
Through March 16, 2015. Place: Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St. Museum hours: Mon.-Sat., noon to 5 p.m. Admission: $7; $4 (seniors, students, children 6-8); free (children under 5 and active duty military). For more information, click here.
Mark your calendar: Coming next week, Arts Brookfield's annual presentation of silent films accompanied by live music. There are two programs, both curated by John Schaefer as part of WNYC's annual New Sounds Live program. In one program, playing on Tuesday, Feb. 17 and Thursday, Feb. 19, the avant-rock band SQ�RL (Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan) selected four silent films by the legendary Man Ray, and then created original scores for these performances. This evening alternates on Feb. 18 and Feb. 20 with the award-winning silent hit Blancanieves based on the "Snow White" fairy tale, written and directed by acclaimed Spanish director Pablo Berger in 2012. Alfonso Vilallonga's original soundtrack will be performed by the composer himself along with the acclaimed new-music ensemble Wordless Music Orchestra. Set in a romantic version of 1920's Andalusia, the silent black-and-white fantasy swept the 2013 Gaud� awards (known as the Spanish Oscars) winning Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Catalan-Language Film, among others, and was one of the year's most popular films in Spain. Place: Winter Garden at Brookfield Place, 250 Vesey St. Time: 8 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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