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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 2, No. 24 March 3, 2015
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Quote of the day:
"It's not going to happen under my watch."
- City Councilmember Margaret Chin's response to a 494-foot-tall residential tower that The Howard Hughes Corporation wants to build in the South Street Seaport.
* Howard Hughes Corp. and South Street Seaport Museum's competing visions for the Seaport * Bits & Bytes: Historic lobbies; Urban Justice Center; Mayor and City Council at odds
* Downtown Bulletin Board: Lion's Club dinner; Tribeca Greenmarket reopening on Wednesdays
* Community Board 1 meetings: Week of March 2 * Calendar: Week of March 2
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here. The New York City Office of Emergency Management has issued a travel advisory for a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain and rain Tuesday evening March 3, through Wednesday morning March 4. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for 3 p.m. Tuesday through 2 a.m. Wednesday. Snow will develop late Tuesday afternoon and will mix with or change to sleet and freezing rain Tuesday evening. The wintry mix will then change over to rain late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning. The rain will taper off before the Wednesday morning commute, but untreated roads and walkways are expected to still be slippery. ALTERNATE SIDE OF THE STREET PARKING: Alternate side of the street parking regulations will be suspended on March 4 for snow removal and on March 5 for Purim. Payment at parking meters will remain in effect throughout the city. FERRY SERVICE UPDATE: Ice has caused delays and cancellations on the Hudson River and East River ferry services. Passengers can get the latest schedule information on the New York Waterway website, www.nywaterway.com or by signing up for text alerts. East River ferry commuters can get service alerts by clicking here.
For information about Seastreak delays and cancellations, click here.
EMERGENCY DRILL: A joint FDNY and NYPD exercise will take place near Vesey Street and North End Avenue between 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4 and 3 a.m. on Thursday, March 5. Expect to see emergency personnel and vehicles in the area.
BREAKING NEWS: Go to www.DowntownPostNYC.com for updates on breaking news.
All ads in Downtown Post NYC have clickable links. Click on an ad for more information.
Window-sill geraniums and falling snow. March 1, 2015. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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FASHION OR EDUCATION? HOWARD HUGHES AND SEAPORT MUSEUM PRESENT COMPETING VISIONS FOR THE SOUTH STREET SEAPORT|
| | David Weinreb, C.E.O. of The Howard Hughes Corporation at the groundbreaking on Oct. 18, 2013 for a new shopping mall on Pier 17. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
A model wearing a rhinestone-studded mask gyrated in a form-fitting, black-leather teddy in front of a wall flooded with magenta light. Another model wearing black panties, a black bra, a studded leather jacket and high heels showed her stuff on the same stage as she thumped on a tambourine. A young man wearing round glasses, a bow tie and a yellow sweater with another sweater flung over his shoulders, preppy style, paraded down the runway. It was "Fashion Week" in the South Street Seaport and The Howard Hughes Corporation captured it on video for posterity. The white, plastic structure that Hughes erected for the winter on Fulton Street and christened the "Sugar Cube" vibrated with electronic music and the buzz generated by an open bar. Audience members, exiting the cube, would have found themselves in front of 203-year-old Schermerhorn Row, where the South Street Seaport Museum had its major galleries before Superstorm Sandy knocked the building's electrical system to smithereens on Oct. 29, 2012. Not just in terms of building use, but in other significant ways, The Howard Hughes Corporation, which has a long-term lease on parts of the South Street Seaport, and the South Street Seaport Museum have competing visions for what the Seaport is and what it could be. In recent weeks, the South Street Seaport Museum unveiled a spate of ambitious educational programs related to the Seaport's maritime and architectural history. Howard Hughes, meanwhile, has been promoting the Seaport as a fashion venue, with stores selling luxury merchandise. |
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Chris Curry, senior executive vice president of The Howard Hughes Corp. and Phillip St. Pierre, Seaport general manager for Howard Hughes at the CB1 meeting on Feb. 17, 2015.
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At the Feb. 17 meeting of Community Board 1's Seaport/Civic Center Committee, Hughes executives showed a video entitled "Seaport Retail Renaissance" spotlighting the establishments now ensconced in some of the Seaport's 19th-century buildings on Fulton and Front Streets. " To me, the South Street Seaport represents the next hot spot in Manhattan," said Erin Fenigar, the founder of the Rialto Jean Project, in the video. "We sell vintage, hand-painted, one-of-a-kind pieces and a portion of every sale goes to support art therapy programs at Children's Hospital [in Los Angeles]. South Street Seaport represents old New York and new New York coming together."
Fenigar's paint-splashed jeans sell for around $245.
Judith Puckett-Rinella, founder of Whisper Editions at 8 Fulton St., says in the video, "I think the types of people who are moving down to this area have a thirst for real New York. They are thirsty for design, fashion, food. This area has the potential to become the ultimate destination for all three of those things."
Another retailer, Christian Benner, with a store at 189 Front St., said of the Seaport, "I just fell in love with what's down here.
"Basically, what I do is custom - one of a kind pieces - mostly leather jackets and T-shirts," he explained, sporting one of his jackets, opened to reveal the large tattoo on his chest.
The jackets sell for around $1,400, the T-shirts, for around $100 to $150. |
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Jonathan Boulware at the CB1 meeting on Feb. 17.
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Meanwhile, the South Street Seaport Museum is busy pursuing the educational agenda that its interim president, Capt. Jonathan Boulware, has repeatedly laid out as its strong suit and its future. "This is a museum that tells the story of old New York, but it does it through contemporary pockets as well," he told CB1's Seaport Committee at its meeting on Dec. 15, 2014. Going forward, he said, "We look to the education model, which was really its core strength and using the artifacts and the ships to support that. We're very good at STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics]. All the things you do on a ship are very well suited to that kind of work." The South Street Seaport Museum's website now lists a range of programs for school groups, young people who come to the museum with their families and the general public. "South Street Seaport Museum tells the story of how New York's great natural harbor gave rise to the metropolis we know today," the website says. "From historic ships to district walking tours, block printing and woodcarving, our Education Programs provide a deeper experience of the history and environment of our great port city, and an understanding of how our port connects us to the world." |
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An educational program aboard the South Street Seaport Museum's schooner Pioneer.
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Among the programs are the popular Mini-Mates for toddlers 18 through 36 months old, who come to the museum for arts and crafts, music and movement. There are programs for older children such as "Adventures Under Sail" that entail sailing New York harbor on the museum's 1885 schooner, Pioneer; "A Taste of the Sea: An Introduction to New York Harbor;" "Gone Fishing: New York Harbor and its Wildlife;" "Know the Ropes: Physics, Math and Marine Science Under Sail" and more. In a program called "Adventures on the Street of Ships," the museum tells the story of how New York's remarkable natural harbor gave rise to today's metropolis. There are walking tours of the Seaport, tracing its story from the Lenape villages that were once there, to the early Dutch settlers, to the colonial town of New Amsterdam, to the growing city of New York. In the museum's galleries, the artifacts, exhibits, and even the walls themselves tell how New York grew from a Dutch colonial outpost to a large and thriving city. The museum is now offering programs designed for groups of up to 34 students, which it says are aligned with the Common Core Learning Standards and New York State Social Studies Scope and Sequence. At Bowne Printers, students and members of the public can use the traditional methods and historic presses that once documented marine trade to create artisanal projects. Programs teach how to print from a linoleum block and how to typeset a broadside using some of the museum's large selection of vintage wood type. If school groups can't go to the museum, the museum will now come to a school with customized activities and hands-on lessons that explore such topics as what makes a boat float, the organisms that live in New York harbor and mathematical navigation. As The Howard Hughes Corporation and the museum promote their competing visions of what the Seaport is about and what it should become, the people who live and work in the neighborhood have some questions. At the Community Board 1 meeting on Feb. 17 where Howard Hughes executives talked about the retailing that the company has already brought to the Seaport, a CB1 member, Frances Curtis, who lives at nearby Southbridge Towers asked, "Are you competing with Brookfield in terms of market, in terms of who you're trying to attract there? Because [what you're showing] doesn't seem like something I would be able to afford." Phillip St. Pierre, general manager for Hughes at the South Street Seaport, replied, "I can answer that. Brookfield is going very upscale. Gucci. Prada. That's their direction. The World Trade Center is a transit hub. ... They're going very low market. They've got some great names. They will be wildly successful. We're finding our place in the market, and our place in the market right now is emerging designers and emerging artists. It's about people who are a little bit closer to the cobblestones. And so the examples you saw - that's a start. That's how we start. But I defy you to tell me where any of those have another store, because they don't. It's about new people taking a chance, and we're taking a chance with them and we see the whole retail mix growing up around them." Curtis was only half convinced. "I find those upscale shops kind of expensive," she said. |
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Jewelry for sale at Whisper Editions on Fulton Street.
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St. Pierre assured her they were not. "Go have a look," he said. "There are various price points. Whisper Editions is a great example. I went in there - I spent too much at Christmas - but I got everything from $100 rings to $200 belts, so there's all kinds of stuff." As for the museum, the question remains how it will find the permanent financial footing that it needs to carry out the ambitious programs that it has laid out. Jonathan Boulware is optimistic. He has said more than once that he thinks that 2015 will be a good year. - Terese Loeb Kreuzer To see The Howard Hughes Corporation fashion videos, click here. For information about the South Street Seaport Museum's educational programs, click here.
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Bits & Bytes
HISTORIC LOBBIES; $8M TRIBECA CONDO; TECH COMPANIES SNAP UP REAL ESTATE; MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL AT ODDS; URBAN JUSTICE|
| | A detail of the ceiling in the Woolworth Building lobby. Many of the early 20th-century office buildings in Lower Manhattan have extraordinary lobbies that will now serve as the entrance ways to luxury apartment buildings. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Restoring Historic Lobbies in Luxury Buildings," New York Times, 2/27/15. "Grand lobbies filled with sumptuous details - ceiling murals, elaborate ornamentation, inlaid marble floors - are being rejuvenated by developers hoping to lure home buyers to once-commercial buildings being converted to high-end apartments," says The New York Times. "A meticulously restored lobby with an interesting lineage, developers say, adds to a building's wow factor." Several of the buildings discussed and depicted are in Lower Manhattan, and they are sumptuous. Among them are the Beekman Residences, a new condominium that will adjoin and incorporate the 1883 Temple Court building, the Woolworth Tower Residences, 100 Barclay St. and 70 Pine St. For the complete article, click here. "Steven Soderbergh buys Tribeca condo for $8M," Daily News, 2/27/15. "When Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh listed two of his Manhattan apartments for sale last year, speculation was rife that he might be packing up and leaving the city," says the Daily News. But that was not what happened. "In fact, the 'Contagion' and 'Ocean's Eleven' director has snapped up a new $8.34 million pad at the exclusive new condo building 7 Harrison St., just down the street from his old digs at 155 Franklin St, the Daily News has learned. The glitzy duplex pad, known as the Atelier, had been on the market for $8.5 million. It totals 3,100 square feet and has three bedrooms and a landscaped garden." For the complete article, click here. "Amazon, BuzzFeed lead NYC real estate growth," Crain's New York Business, 3/2/15. "In an unprecedented show of strength, the city's burgeoning tech firms helped pace an 8.4% rise in the total square footage leased in the 50 largest commercial office deals last year, to 14 million square feet," Crain's New York Business reports. "Tech firms, led by Amazon, BuzzFeed and Twitter (at 7 W. 34th St., 225 Park Ave. South, and 245-249 W. 17th St., respectively), accounted for seven of the top 50. Among them, they inked deals for 1.3 million square feet of space, according to CoStar's annual ranking of those transactions, published in Monday's edition of Crain's." Crain's also notes that "Downtown Manhattan has become a popular destination among a growing number of tenants seeking to get the most out of the rent they're paying. Ten of the 50 biggest deals were in the downtown market, for a total of more than 2.6 million square feet." For the complete article, click here. "Mayor's chummy City Council relations suddenly aren't," Crain's New York Business, 3/1/15. "After a year of sunny collaboration between natural liberal allies, clouds loom on the horizon for Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council," says Crain's New York Business. "What began as an ideologically aligned pairing is giving way to a power struggle more typical of New York City politics. Some in the council perceive the mayor to be encroaching on their land-use authority and using strong-arm tactics. Several bills on which the council and mayor disagree are advancing through the chamber." After mentioning several midtown land-use stand-offs between de Blasio and City Council, Crain's says that, "Manhattan Councilwoman Margaret Chin is in the midst of her own battle over a proposed 40-story tower just outside the historic South Street Seaport district. She and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer object to Texas-based Howard Hughes Corp.'s plan, calling it out of character with the area. But Mr. [Kyle] Kimball [president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation] says the tower cannot be moved, and the administration sees it as a way to fund affordable housing, a new school and an upgrade of the seaport. 'It's not going to happen under my watch,' Ms. Chin vowed." For the complete article, click here. Urban Justice Center opens at 40 Rector St.: On March 2, the Urban Justice Center (UJC), one of the city's oldest and most prominent legal services organizations, unveiled its new headquarters in Lower Manhattan at 40 Rector St. UJC has served New York City's most vulnerable residents through direct legal service, systemic advocacy, community education and political organizing for 30 years. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and New York elected officials, including Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilmember Margaret Chin, attended the ribbon cutting. The new space, designed by A+I architects, occupies approximately 32,000 square feet on the ninth floor of the building with views of the Hudson River. The space can accommodate more than 100 staff members and 47 interns, and has breakout rooms for legal training and private client sessions that will be named after prominent civil rights leaders. The bulk of the money to buy the space came from a $5 million capital grant from the New York City Council. By owning rather than renting space, UJC will save over $800,000 a year on space costs, meaning more money can go toward meeting the needs of low- and no-income New Yorkers. For more information about the Urban Justice Center, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board
TRIBECA GREENMARKET REOPENING ON WEDNESDAYS; LIONS CLUB DINNER; GARDENING ON GOVERNORS ISLAND; SUMMER DAY CAMPS
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| | Asphalt Green summer day camp (pictured above) and the Downtown Community Center day camp are holding open houses this month to introduce their programs. (Photo: Asphalt Green) |
Tribeca Greenmarket reopening on Wednesdays: GrowNYC's Tribeca Greenmarket will open Wednesdays for the season beginning March 4. Initially, the vendors will be Francesca's Bakery with breads and other baked goods from Middlesex County, N.J. and Jersey Farm with vegetables, flowers, herbs, and small fruit from Hunterdon County, N.J. The Wednesday Tribeca market will run through Dec. 23. In addition, there is a Saturday market that runs year round with a dozen vendors (and more during the summer) selling fruit, dairy products, poultry, eggs, fish, meat, cheese and baked goods. The market is located on Greenwich Street between Chambers and Duane Streets. It is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Wednesday market accepts food scraps for composting and textiles for recycling between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. WIC and FMNP checks are accepted at some individual farmer stands. For more information, click here. New York Financial District Lions Club dinner: The Financial District Lions Club is holding a dinner at the Capital Grille on March 7 at 8 p.m. to welcome a delegation of Lions Leaders from Italy and other countries who will be in New York to attend the Lions Day at the United Nations. Everyone who would like to share a nice dinner with entertainment and has paid in advance via Pay Pal is invited. The relationship between Lions Clubs International and the United Nations goes back to 1945, after President Harry S. Truman, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other world leaders signed the UN Charter. Melvin Jones, Lions Clubs International founder, was asked to help develop the non-government organization (NGO) charter for the UN. Ever since Lions Clubs International is the only NGO that meets once a year with UN leaders to discuss humanitarian needs on which they cooperate. Lions Clubs provide aid and manpower for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), WHO (World Health Organization), and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) projects, including disaster relief around the world. New York City received $1.2 million from Lions around the world after the 9/11 attack. These funds were given to the New York 9/11 Steering Committee for distribution. Dinner cost: $65 per person, with a cash bar. RSVP to event@hush.ai. Pay for the reservation through Pay Pal by clicking here. (A $2.00 surcharge is added as the credit card processing fee.) Gardening on Governors Island: Governors Island is seeking gardening volunteers to help revive the landscapes of the Historic District and to tend to the Island's new, award-winning park spaces. The work will begin this March. Volunteers will train and work with the Trust for Governors Island's horticulturalists on day-to-day gardening projects as well as participate in long-term environmental stewardship efforts. The horticulture program has two distinct components. Governors Gardeners will work under the shady canopy of the historic northern part of the Island to rejuvenate some of the 19th century landscapes, lawns, and plantings around former officers' homes. The tasks will include hand tilling planting bed soils, light pruning of ornamental trees and shrubs, planting 'Victory Garden' beds, and working with era-appropriate plants in Nolan Park. Island Ecologists will have an opportunity to interact with the brilliant ecological landscapes on the South side of the Island in the new park. They will have a chance to hand-seed and cut back wildflowers and native grasses, monitor soil moisture, help the Governors Island staff document the progress of new trees in Hammock Grove, and track wildflower and bird diversity. The Trust for Governors Island is looking for a small number of volunteers willing to donate at least four hours of their time one day a week, for 10 weeks between March and October. A love of nature is a must, gardening experience, a plus. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and able to perform moderate physical outdoor activity. Weekday volunteer opportunities are available immediately with weekend shifts beginning May 23. For more information, or to sign up to volunteer as a gardener or in other capacities on Governors Island, click here. Health and Wellness seminars: Free health and wellness seminars are being presented at Pace University in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College. On March 26, Dr. Elaine Barfield will talk about "Celiac Disease: Fact vs. Fiction." On April 21, Catherine Lord, Ph.D., will discuss "New Approaches and Challenges in Autism Spectrum Disorders." All seminars will begin at 8:30 a.m.-9 a.m. with registration and light refreshments. The presentations will take place from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. followed by question and answer sessions. Space is limited. RSVP to communityrelations@pace.edu. Place: Pace University, Aniello Bianco room, 3 Spruce St.
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. 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 12 p.m. Click here for more information. Downtown Day Camps: Parents are invited to attend an open house for Downtown Day Camps on March 4 at the Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren St. (between Greenwich and West Streets). Click here to watch a video about the camp. Online registration has begun, with early bird discounts through March 15. To register online, click here. For more information, call (212) 766-1104, ext. 250 or email info@downtowndaycamps.com.
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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of March 2
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Permits for the Battery Park City ball fields will be discussed at CB1's Battery Park City Committee meeting. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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All meetings take place at the Community Board 1 office, 49-51 Chambers St., Room 709, starting at 6 p.m. unless otherwise noted. The public is welcome to attend. Bring photo ID to enter the building. March 3: Battery Park City Committee
* Parking signage and enforcement - Discussion
* BPC ballfields permits - Discussion
* Battery Park City Authority programs survey - Announcement
* BPCA permit requests:
14th Annual NYPD Memorial 5k Run/Walk, NYPD Running Club, Sunday, May 17, 2015
The following notices have been received for renewal, upgrade, or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses or sidewalk cafe permits:
* North Cove Yacht Harbor, application for renewal of a summer vessel license for the Shearwater (Nautical Gourmet, Inc.)
March 4: Financial District Committee
* Staten Island Ferry - Presentation by James DeSimone, NYC DOT Chief Ferry Officer and John Waterhouse, Elliott Bay Design Group
* The Battery Conservancy - Update by Hope Cohen, Chief Operating Officer
* Filming plan in FiDi - Presentation by Joe Guest, Location Manager and Paul Eskenazi, Assistant Location Manager, TriStar Productions, Inc
* 1 World Trade Center, 34th and 35th floor, application for a liquor license for Restaurant Associates, LLC - Resolution
* One New York Plaza, application for a liquor license for Chipotle Mexican Grill of Colorado, LLC - Resolution
* 11 Park Place, application for a wine and beer liquor license for AAA Pizza Corp. d/b/a Little Italy Pizza - Resolution
* 185 Greenwich St., application for a wine and beer liquor license for Greenwich Street Caf�, d/b/a Epicerie Boulud - Resolution
* Street activity permit for Oysterfest on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2015, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Stone Street between Hanover Square and Coenties Alley, Mill Lane between South William Street and Stone Street and Hanover Square between Pearl Street and South William Street - Resolution
* Street activity permit for Stone Street Pedestrian Mall on Friday, March 13, 2015 to Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Stone Street between Broad Street and Hanover Square and Mill Lane between South William Street and Stone Street - Resolution
* Street activity permit for Downtown Friends of VN Liberty Street Festival on Sunday, July 18, 12 p.m.-7 p.m. on Liberty Street between Broadway and Trinity Place - Resolution
* Street activity permit for Dushahra festival on Sunday Sept. 13, 2015, 12 p.m.-7 p.m. on Maiden Lane between Front Street and South Street - Resolution
The following notices have been received for renewal, upgrade, or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses or sidewalk cafe permits:
* 2 Gold St., renewal application for a liquor license for JMP Ventures LLC, d/b/a Harry's Italian Pizza Bar
*103 Greenwich Ave., renewal application for a liquor license for 103 GW 12 LLC, d/b/a Monument Lane
* 62 Pearl St., renewal application for a liquor license for Lucky Pearl LLC, d/b/a Shorty's
* 1 Hanover Square, renewal application for a liquor license for Masterpiece Caterers
* Slip 1 Battery Wharf, renewal application for a liquor license for Clipper City
* Castle Clinton, renewal application for a liquor license for Statue Cruises LLC, d/b/a Statue of Liberty, Miss Freedom and Lady Liberty (Motorized Vessels)
March 9: Planning Committee
* World Trade Center Quarterly Update - Glenn Guzi, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey * Route 9A - Update by Julie Nadel and Shilpan Patel, New York State Department of Transportation * U.S. Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Comprehensive Study - Update by Bryce Wisemiller & Donald Cresitello, Army Corps of Engineers & Curtis Cravens, Mayor's Office of Recovery and Resiliency
* Housing New York, A Five-Borough, Ten-Year Plan - Update by New York City Department of Housing, Preservation and Development
* Air Rights Transfer Zoning and Regulations at the South Street Seaport - Presentation by Richard Suarez, New York City Department of City Planning
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CALENDAR: Week of March 2
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A holiday card by Langston Hughes is part of an exhibit called "Winter Wedding: Holiday Cards by Poets" at Poets House through March 21. (Courtesy of Raymond Danowski Poetry Library, MARBL, Emory University)
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March 3: In response to the recent tragic events in Europe, the Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is partnering with AJC on a lecture series discussing the future of European Jewry. Moderated by Jewish Week's editor and publisher, Gary Rosenblatt, the series features AJC experts who will provide in-depth, on-the-ground insights into the new reality confronting Jews across Europe and beyond. The series focuses on the rising tide of anti-Semitism, mounting efforts to delegitimize the Jewish state, and other global challenges. The series begins with an evening with David Harris, AJC Executive Director, on March 3, at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, March 11 at 7 p.m., Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Director of AJC Paris, will speak. Deidre Berger, Director of AJC Berlin, will conclude the series on Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. Place: 36 Battery Place. Free. Donations are welcome. Reserve tickets in advance by clicking here.
March 4: For 14 weeks, Gibney Dance's "Making Space" is bringing the work of 22 dance, theater and multimedia artists to its Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center. The second offering in the series is "Sister to a Fiend" by Sam Kim performed by Amanda Kmett Pendry, Joanna Kotze and Sam Kim. This ritualistic dance reveals the mysterious rites of three powerful women and the psychic landscape they occupy. Situated in the round with lighting by Joe Levasseur, sound by Bryce Kretschmann, and visual design by Sam Kim, viewers become voyeurs as they witness illicit acts executed with intimacy, ferocity and transgression. Also, March 5, 6 and 7. Place: 280 Broadway (entrance at 53A Chambers St.). Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 (students, seniors and Gibney dance class card holders). For more information and to buy tickets, click here. March 7: In honor of Women's History Month, Radmilla Cody (Din�), an award-winning recording artist of traditional Din� songs, is performing in the Diker Pavilion of the National Museum of the American Indian. Where: 1 Bowling Green. Time: 2 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. March 8: "The Covenant Kitchen: Food and Wine for the New Jewish Table," a new volume from Napa Valley's Covenant Winery, offers kosher wine pairings for the sophisticated palate. Authors Jeff and Jodie Morgan will talk about this with Mark Russ Federman, Russ and Daughters, followed by a wine tasting. Space is extremely limited. Reserve by March 6. Place: 36 Battery Place. Time: 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tickets: $10; $7 (students and seniors); $5 (members). For more information and to buy tickets, click here. Ongoing: Every Tuesday through April 7, Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place presents movie trivia with Maggie Ross from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. followed by a film with a food-related theme from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Each round of trivia has a different theme with prizes for individual rounds and a growler from Mighty Quinn's BBQ for the overall weekly team champion. Free. For more information, click here. Ongoing: "The Nomad," a new musical with book and lyrics by Elizabeth Swados and Erin Courtney, gets its world premiere at The Flea Theater in Tribeca. The story, told entirely with song and dance, is based on the life of Isabelle Eberhardt (1877-1904), who was born in Switzerland and defied all expectations and conventions when went to live in the Sahara desert, becoming a practicing Muslim and dressing as a man so that she could have the freedom to travel and work. A writer and journalist by trade, she was both an associate of the French colonists and an advocate for the disenfranchised citizens. She was killed in a flash flood at the age of 27. Through April 6. Place: 41 White St. Tickets: $70-$15 (lowest price tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis). VIP tickets, including reserved seats and unlimited drinks, $100. For more information and to buy tickets, call (212) 352-3101 or 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: 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: "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 info@seany.org. 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.
Note: Because of the extremely cold weather, some pipes in the Poets House lobby had to be replaced and others, re-insulated. The Poets House Reading Room on the second floor was closed for several days but reopened on Friday, Feb. 27. Poets House says that its lobby still looks like "a well-wrapped Christo installation," and that first floor spaces, Kray Hall and the Children's Room, will remain closed until some time this week. For more information, click here.
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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
All articles and photographs in Downtown Post NYC are copyrighted and
may not be reprinted or republished without written permission.
� 2014
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