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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 2, No. 34 April 10, 2015
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Quote of the day:
"Although an appellate court decried the 'technological home invasion' of a Tribeca family's apartment by a prominent photographer surreptitiously shooting them and their toddler children with a telephoto lens, it said the family had no claim under New York's privacy statutes."
- A decision of the Appellate Division, First Department, as cited in the New York Law Journal
* Southbridge Towers is still in limbo
* Irish Hunger Memorial gets an app and a tour with its designer * Bits & Bytes: Downtown Alliance honors safety officers; Tribeca photog with telephoto lens
* Downtown Bulletin Board: Culinary scholarships; Offshore Sailing School opens for season
* Tribeca Film Festival: New York City stories: Cartoons, satire and a Harold Lloyd classic
* Community Board 1 meetings: Week of April 13 * Calendar: Weeks of April 6 and April 13
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here. DOWNTOWN POST NYC KUDO: Downtown Post NYC is honored to have been one of eight Manhattan publications to be included on Brick Underground's list of the "24 Best NYC Neighborhood Blogs." To see the article, click here. 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. Daffodils on the Battery Park City esplanade, south of North Cove Marina. April 4, 2015.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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SOUTHBRIDGE TOWERS IS STILL IN LIMBO
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Southbridge Towers. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The saga of Southbridge Towers continues. The latest episode involves the question of when elections for the board of directors of the Mitchell-Lama co-op should be held. The current board has led the fight to take Southbridge Towers out of the subsidized Mitchell-Lama program, privatizing the complex's 1,651 apartments so that current shareholders could sell their units on the open market instead of having to sell them back to the co-op for approximately what they paid for them. But some members of the current board - including its president, Wallace Dimson - can't run again because of term limits under the co-op's by-laws. If a new board were differently constituted, the privatization battle might turn out differently. SBT's current by-laws specify that the annual shareholders' meeting is to be held the first Tuesday in May, at which time a board would be elected. If that election could be deferred, the privatization battle might be legally over by the time it was held, and new by-laws might allow current board members to run again. New York State Homes and Community Renewal has just weighed in with a letter dated April 9, 2015. It says essentially that it is keeping an eye on the situation but that it would be premature to intervene. By way of background, sales on the open market might allow SBT owners who laid out as little as $5,000 for their apartments to sell them for half a million or more. Southbridge Towers is just west of the South Street Seaport in an area once derelict but where shiny apartment towers are now sprouting like dandelions. In September 2014, the shareholders of Southbridge Towers seemed to have voted to privatize, but maybe not. Two-thirds of the eligible apartments had to agree, and whether that number was achieved - or not - depends on which apartments were deemed eligible to vote. Some shareholders opposed to privatization are saying that 44 apartments were incorrectly excluded by the Board from voting, which would have meant that the necessary threshold for privatization was not achieved. The timing of the Southbridge Towers board of directors elections is therefore of critical importance. In a letter written on Thursday, Laurice Firenze, an attorney with the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation, wrote, "The by-laws specify that the annual shareholders' meeting is to be held on the first Tuesday of May and that written notice must be given to each shareholder at least 20 days prior to the meeting. Therefore, the Annual Meeting for 2015 should take place on Tuesday, May 5 and the last day notice may be given is Wednesday, April 15. "As the notice deadline is still in the future, and we have received no definitive statement from the Board that it does not intend to hold the meeting as established by the by-laws, it would be premature for DHCR [the Division of Housing and Community Renewal] to do anything at this time. Nevertheless, in response to your and the other shareholders' concerns, we have contacted the housing company's counsel and requested additional information regarding the Board's intentions." Firenze's letter was addressed to Roberta Singer of the SBT Cooperators for Mitchell-Lama, a plaintiff along with the Southbridge Towers Shareholders Association in a lawsuit to overturn the September 2014 privatization vote. The plaintiffs are represented by Barry Mallin of Mallin & Cha. Firenze said in her letter that candidates for the Board must submit their r�sum�s by the deadline "set forth in the 'Notice of Election' given by the Corporation. As that notice has not yet been given, the deadline for submission of r�sum�s has not yet been established." Since Firenze wrote her letter, there has been a new development. On Thursday evening, April 9, at Southbridge Towers' monthly Board of Directors meeting, the Board announced its intention to delay the election until late June, according to Paul Hovitz, president of the Southbridge Towers Shareholders Association. "When asked about the by-law requirement to have a shareholder vote, the attorney for the Board, Dean Roberts, said they do not have to adhere to that by-law," Hovitz said in an email. "We have begun contacting DHCR through shareholder mail and our attorney to require them to enforce our by-laws." - Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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IRISH HUNGER MEMORIAL GETS AN APP AND A TOUR WITH ITS DESIGNER|
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The Irish Hunger Memorial. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Battery Park City's Irish Hunger Memorial compresses into a half acre at the corner of Vesey Street and North End Avenue an elegy, a history lesson, an excursion among fields, flowers and rocks, an overlook and a tribute. It opened on July 16, 2002 - later than planned because of the destruction the year before of the World Trade Center.
In a corner of Manhattan that has been watered with tears, it evokes another time of disaster - the famine in Ireland that killed more than a million people between 1845 and 1852 and caused another million to emigrate. Many of them came to New York City and changed it irrevocably.
On May 3 at 2 p.m., Brian Tolle, the architect of the Irish Hunger Memorial, will lead a free tour of the memorial. He will discuss the choices that he made in designing it and the experiences of Irish-Americans in New York.
Each element of the memorial was purposefully chosen. The 32 boulders that line its path come from every county in Ireland. The vegetation and flowers are native to County Mayo, where the famine began. The summit of the memorial looks out over the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, which, for many Irish immigrants, was their first glimpse of America.
Battery Park City Parks Conservancy horticulturist Richard Fariano will talk during the tour about the difficulties of recreating the look of an abandoned Irish field and historian Lynn Rogers will discuss Irish immigration during the Great Hunger and the immigrants' experience when they arrived in New York City.
For those who don't want to wait until May 3 to learn more about the memorial, it now has its own downloadable app. To get the app, click here.
At some point in the next year, the Irish Hunger Memorial will close for awhile. It is in need of repairs to waterproof it and to address water damage. "We are working to determine the exact scope of the work," said Robin Forst, spokesperson for the Battery Park City Authority, which maintains the memorial. "We know that to rectify the issues, the Memorial will not be accessible during the repair period," she said. "While we do not know the exact date the repairs will commence, they will not begin before October 2015."
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Bits & Bytes
WTC OBSERVATORY OPENING; H&M MAY COME TO 4WTC; DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE HONORS SAFETY OFFICERS; TRIBECA PHOTOGRAPHER ACQUITTED OF TAKING PIX OF NEIGHBORS WITH TELEPHOTO LENS
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Twelve Downtown Alliance Public Safety Officers were honored on April 8 for their service above and beyond the call of duty. |
"Dine Near the Top of One World Trade Center When the Observatory Opens May 29," Eater.com, 4/8/15. "One World Observatory, on the 100th, 101st, and 102nd floors of One World Trade Center, will officially open to the public on May 29," says Eater.com. "Besides ultra-fast Sky Pods (aka elevators), a high-tech 'See Forever Theatre,' and the observatory itself, the space will feature three dining options on the 101st floor, plus a 9,300-square-foot event space to accommodate as many as 300 people on the 102nd floor." For the complete article, click here. "H&M 'shopping' at 4 WTC for outlet space," New York Post, 4/7/15. "H&M may be joining the lineup at the World Trade Center," says the New York Post. "The cheap chic Swedish retailer may be taking the second floor in the base of 4 World Trade Center, sources said. The key location would put the outlet directly across Church Street from the off-price luxury destination - the Century 21 department store." For the complete article, click here. Downtown Alliance safety officers honored: A distraught, elderly man who couldn't speak English had become separated from his family. A woman realized that she had dropped her wallet with credit cards and $620 in cash on a street corner. A man was intercepted as he attempted to rob a Salvation Army employee collecting holiday donations. For intervening and assisting in these and other difficult situations, 12 Downtown Alliance Public Safety Officers were honored on April 8 for their service above and beyond the call of duty. The Downtown Alliance's 60 public safety officers, recognizable by their bright red uniforms, work hand in hand with the New York City Police Department's Manhattan South Scooter Task Force, which shares the NYPD Downtown Center with the Downtown Alliance's Public Safety Office. Criminal activity in Lower Manhattan has dropped considerably since the Downtown Alliance and NYPD began working together 13 years ago. The public safety team is also trained to provide Lower Manhattan's 11.5 million annual tourists with directions, district maps and recommendations on local attractions. Those honored included Security Officers Desli Darisma, Darell Joseph, Devon Wooden, Stephen Lefkowitz, Nathan Turner, Steven Maldonado, Jonathan Molina, Ricardo Delgado and Richardson Laurent and supervisors Jason Rivera and Turhan White. In addition to the officers recognized for acts of service, Security Officer Paul Lapera received the year's special recognition award for his participation in notable academic training sessions. Last Spring, Officer Lapera attended and graduated from the NYPD citizens Police Academy, a 14-week course including instruction on NYPD regulations, the criminal justice system, counterterrorism and NYPD intelligence, special victims, gangs and school safety. Additionally, this past fall, Officer Lapera was selected to attend the FBI Citizens Academy, where he was instructed on counterterrorism, organized crime, gangs and intelligence. The Downtown Alliance manages the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District (BID), serving an area roughly from City Hall to the Battery, from the East River to West Street. For more information, click here. "How Tribeca Film Festival chief reels in the community," Crain's New York Business, 4/9/15. "Last summer, Genna Terranova was promoted to director of the Tribeca Film Festival," says Crain's New York Business. "She is running the 14th annual event, which kicks off April 15 with a documentary about Saturday Night Live. The 12-day extravaganza will feature 160 films and numerous panel discussions and concerts, before closing with a 25th-anniversary screening of Goodfellas and a talk with cast members including Robert De Niro, a champion of lower Manhattan and the festival's co-founder. 'The festival has always been about creating a sense of community,' said Ms. Terranova. To help foster that spirit during the festival, a new downtown hub at Spring Studios will host events and lounges where people can hold meetings or just relax. She said such touches are crucial in this era of proliferating entertainment options." For the complete article, click here. "City Council to introduce new landmarking bill," Crain's New York Business, 4/9/15. "The City Council is drafting legislation to change the city's system for designating landmarks," says Crain's New York Business. "Backers of the legislation say it will bring more clarity to a process that has been criticized for hindering development, but critics say the 'devil is in the details.' The new legislation was announced Wednesday by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, a critic of development and an advocate for automatically considering any building older than 50 years for landmark status. It is being drafted by Councilmen Brad Lander, Stephen Levin and Daniel Garodnick. For the complete article, click here. "Surreptitious Photos Found Not to Invade Family's Privacy," New York Law Journal, 4/10/15. "Although an appellate court decried the 'technological home invasion' of a Tribeca family's apartment by a prominent photographer surreptitiously shooting them and their toddler children with a telephoto lens, it said the family had no claim under New York's privacy statutes," according to the New York Law Journal. Justice Dianne Renwick, writing Thursday for a unanimous panel of the Appellate Division, First Department, said 'critically acclaimed' photographer Arne Svenson's use of the children's photos in his gallery show 'The Neighbors' fell 'within the ambit of constitutionally protected conduct in the form of a work of art.'" Citing the 24-page opinion, the New York Law Journal explains that Svenson lives across from "the sleek, glass-walled condominium at 475 Greenwich Street known as the 'Zinc Building,' [and] 'apparently spent hours in his apartment, waiting for his subjects to pass the window, sometimes yelling to himself, 'Come to the window!'" For the complete article, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CHEFS; OFFSHORE SAILING SCHOOL; WORKSHOPS AT THE BATTERY; COMMUNITY CONVENTION; SEAPORT MINI MATES
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Mini Mates classes at the South Street Seaport Museum start next week.
(Photo: Courtesy of the South Street Seaport Museum)
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Scholarships for chefs: The James Beard Foundation, named for the renowned cookbook author, has scholarships for people who want to become chefs and for chefs who want to improve their skills. This year, the JBF will award $700,000 in scholarships and grants. There are unrestricted cash awards, cash awards with specific restrictions or qualifications, and scholarships to specific schools that can be applied to tuition at those schools only. Among them are the Institute of Culinary Education, which will soon relocate from Chelsea to Brookfield Place in Battery Park City, and the International Culinary Center in Soho. Some of the other scholarships include the Alain Ducasse Education Scholarship of $20,000, which goes to a student seeking an education in the culinary, pastry, and bakery arts or in wine studies, the Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant, which enables a qualified professional to work with food producers at their source and to study varied specialized skills and the Rhone Rangers Professional Study/Travel Grant, designed for working chefs or sommeliers who wish to learn about American-Rh�ne varietal wines. All scholarship application materials must be postmarked by May 15, 2015. Professional grant applications must be postmarked by June 15, 2015. Scholarship winners will be notified in August. To learn more about the scholarship program, click here.
Offshore Sailing School: On April 11, Steve and Doris Colgate's Offshore Sailing School reopens its New York Harbor campuses at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City and at Pier 25 in Tribeca. Established in 1964 by Olympic and America's Cup sailor, Steve Colgate, the school offers sailing instruction for beginning to advanced students and a sailing club.
Two-hour sailing lessons for those who just want to "test the waters" are available for $150. Two-day Basic Sailing courses are $590 per person, and the school's three-day Learn to Sail certification course starts at $695. Learn to Race and Performance Sailing courses on Colgate 26s (designed by Steve Colgate with naval architect Jim Taylor) start at $795 per person. Offshore Sailing School offers US Sailing certification, which is sanctioned by the governing body of sailing in the United States, appointed by Congress. In addition, the school provides cruising courses on 43-foot Jeanneau cruising yachts, which result in US Sailing Bareboat Cruising Certification.
The Colgates started their New York sailing school in 1982 on City Island and then, in 1987, moved the school and club to the old Colgate factory property in Jersey City where Colgate's ancestors started the soap business in the 1800's.
The Colgate Offshore Sailing Club (COSC) will also start sailing out of Liberty Landing Marina and Pier 25 on April 11. Annual Skipper membership starts at $1,795. Crew membership starts at $1,395 for unlimited sailing, along with racing series and special events throughout the season.
In addition to its two New York Harbor locations, Offshore Sailing has three resort-based campuses in Florida on the Gulf of Mexico (Captiva Island, Ft. Myers Beach and St. Petersburg) and two in the British Virgin Islands (Scrub Island Resort and The Moorings). For more information on course schedules and locations, click here.
26th District Community Convention: New York State Sen. Daniel Squadron will be holding his seventh annual 26th Senate District Community Convention on Sunday, April 12 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lower East Side Preparatory High School, 145 Stanton St. The community convention provides an opportunity for Squadron and his staff to hear from constituents about matters of community concern. Commenting on this year's New York State budget, Squadron said, "In this year's budget, education and ethics got a lot of focus, and they are certainly critically important issues. But while a small part of the budget has gotten a large amount of focus, there were some good things that didn't get as much attention...Whether on education or college access, ethics or the minimum wage, and even our buses and subways, a lot was needed that simply didn't happen. When everyday citizens come together, we have a much better chance to make change. Next week's Community Convention is a great opportunity to make your priorities heard." RSVP by webform at squadron.nysenate.gov or call (212) 298-5565.
Brewer's office seeks volunteers: Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's office has a presence at public events throughout Manhattan year round, but with the warm weather approaching, she says that, "We especially need help staffing tables at outdoor events like street fairs and housing development family days. It can be a lot of fun, and since I strive to attend every street fair and family day, I look forward to the help in distributing information and listening to constituents." To sign up, click here.
Brewer's office seeks summer interns: Each summer Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's office hosts a dozen or more interns, usually college students who are eager to learn the ins and outs of city government. Interns are placed in a part of the office - Land Use, Community Affairs, Budget, Policy or Communications - that's compatible with the student's ability, experience and interest. Weekly seminars are presented by staff professionals to offer interns additional opportunities to learn. Flexible scheduling is available. These positions are unpaid. College students can apply by clicking here.
Ready for Hillary: With Hillary Clinton expected to declare her candidacy for U.S. president any minute now, some Lower Manhattan politicians will be declaring their support by showing up at a fundraiser on April 11 at SouthWest NY restaurant (301 South End Ave., at the corner of Albany Street). Although Hillary herself won't be there, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and three members of New York City's congressional delegation - Jerrold Nadler, Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez - are expected to attend. Battery Park City resident and local Democratic District Leader Jenifer Rajkumar is hosting the fundraiser along with other Lower Manhattan residents and leaders, including Gen. Sidney Baumgarten and Gateway Plaza resident Nancy Chambers. Time: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets: $20.16.
Interfaith Couples at The Museum of Jewish Heritage: On April 15, the Interfaith Community, which serves Jewish/Christian families, invites interfaith couples to explore one of their traditions in an evening of cultural history and interfaith reflection at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City. The evening will include a guided tour of the museum, an opportunity to talk with Interfaith Community leaders Dr. Sheila Gordon, President, and Rev. Joel A. Gibson, Christian Advisor, and wine and cheese. Place: 36 Battery Place. Time: 6:30 p.m. Free. For reservations, click here.
Downtown Little League: The opening day of the Downtown Little League season is Saturday, April 18. As usual, players and their families will march to the Battery Park City ball fields, gathering at City Hall at 8 a.m. and setting off at 8:30 a.m. There will be no carnival on Warren Street and no celebrity ball player this year to enliven the festivities, but Downtown Little League's own celebrities - the girls' softball teams who won New York State championships last year and the baseball district champions - will be honored. The TriBattery Pops will be on hand to play, and at 10 a.m., the first games of the season will begin.
Workshops at The Battery: The Battery Conservancy in historic Battery Park is staging workshops from April to September with hands-on activities that utilize the park's horticultural resources and knowledge. The workshops start on April 18 with "Spring Cleaning! Natural Cleaners, New Blooms, and More." Participants will learn how to make natural household cleaners using herbs and other ingredients they already have in their kitchens. This will be followed on May 16 by "Natural Dyes and Herb Sachets." Participants will learn how to turn kitchen scraps into dyes using natural ingredients such as onion skins and turmeric. They will dye their own herb sachet and, once it dries, fill it with a custom blend of herbs. On June 20, workshop participants will learn how to cook without electricity using bike blenders, hand choppers and elbow grease to make delicious snacks. On the menu? Smoothies, ice cream, and pesto! On July 18, the workshop is entitled "Making Salad at Battery Urban Farm." Tour the vegetable farm and the new Forest Farm and harvest all the ingredients you'll need for a delicious salad. Learn how to make an easy salad dressing and then eat your salad. On Aug. 15, the subject is "DIY Mini Hanging Planters." Learn how to make your own hanging planter using tiny jars, egg shells, and other surprising materials. The workshop series ends on Sept. 19 with "The Buzz about Bees." Visit the beehives in The Battery and learn about the ways in which bees live, work and play. Then, in the spirit of our pollinating friends' favorite flora, make everlasting paper flower crowns to take home.
All workshops meet in front of Castle Clinton National Monument. Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. No RSVPs necessary. All materials will be provided.
Mini Mates at the South Street Seaport Museum: The South Street Seaport Museum will now have two classes for its popular Mini Mates program - Thursdays, April 16 to June 4 and Fridays, April 17 to June 5. The Mini Mates program enables children ages 18 months to 4 years and their parents or caregivers to engage in fun and educational activities under the guidance of a museum educator. Classes will be offered on two different days in order to minimize class size while allowing more families to participate. Both Thursday and Friday sessions will offer the same program. A typical Mini Mates class includes unstructured play time, music-making, hands-on learning activities, art-making, reading and snack time.Themes include holidays, the changing seasons, nature, and the Seaport neighborhood. Place: 12 Fulton St. Time: 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Fee: $200. A deposit of $100 is required at registration. To reserve, email education@seany.org or call (212) 748-8753. Registration is now open. I Love My Park Day at Hudson River Park: Join the Friends of Hudson River Park on Saturday, May 2 for the fourth annual I Love My Park Day. Hudson River Park is one of many parks throughout the state that are participating in the program, which was created to improve and enhance New York's parks and historic sites and bring visibility to the entire park system and its needs. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., volunteers will assist in general maintenance and park beautification, including cutting back grasses, planting, invasive species removal and mulching. Water and tools will be provided. All ages are welcome. Participants should bring a snack. Registration is required. For more information, click here. Health and Wellness seminar: 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 April 21, Catherine Lord, Ph.D., will discuss "New Approaches and Challenges in Autism Spectrum Disorders." The seminar will begin at 8:30 a.m.-9 a.m. with registration and light refreshments. The presentation 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.
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Tribeca Film Festival
NEW YORK CITY STORIES: CARTOONS, SATIRE, NUCLEAR POWER AND A CLASSIC WITH HAROLD LLOYD THAT WAS SHOT IN LOWER MANHATTAN|
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Liana Finck, a graphic novelist and cartoonist, appears in a film called "Very Semi Serious" about the cartoonists of The New Yorker. It will have four screenings at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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One of the pleasures of the Tribeca Film Festival is to watch films that were shot, at least partially, in New York City or that are about New York. It's fun to see familiar locales become part of the story. This year, someone with a Lower Manhattan link is also part of a story. Graphic novelist Liana Finck, whose brother, Gideon Finck, is a printer at the South Street Seaport Museum's Bowne Printers on Water Street, turns up in a documentary about the New Yorker magazine. It's called "Very Semi Serious" and is described as "a window into the minds of cartooning legends and hopefuls, including editor Bob Mankoff, shedding light onto how their humor evolves." For more information about the film, click here. Among this year's other New York City offerings are these: "Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon." A documentary using rare, never-before-seen archival footage and in-depth interviews with fans and founders, traces National Lampoon's evolution from underground counter-cultural movement to mainstream household brand. For more information about the film, click here. "Indian Point." The Indian Point nuclear power plant is just 35 miles from Times Square and close to an earthquake fault line. This documentary looks at the aging facility, whose continued operation has generated controversy. For more information about the film, click here. "Live From New York!" A New York institution and comedy powerhouse, Saturday Night Live has been churning out hilarious sketches and launching top comedy talent for 40 years. In honor of the occasion, director Bao Nguyen looks back at the show's history, influence, and most memorable moments. For more information about the film, click here. "Speedy." A newly restored print from the Criterion Collection stars silent comedy legend Harold Lloyd as a diehard Yankees fan who can't keep a job, but is determined to save the last horse-drawn trolley in New York. This lighthearted slapstick classic features visits to Coney Island and Yankee Stadium, a cameo by Babe Ruth, and hair-raising cab rides through the streets of Lower Manhattan. For more information about the film, click here.
The film festival runs from April 15 to April 26, with passes and ticket packages now on sale. They range in price from $45 for a six-matin�e ticket package to $425 for 18 individual general screening tickets that include perks such as early ticket selection and the option to select up to four tickets for any given performance (excluding all specialty and premium-priced screenings and events.) For more information and to purchase ticket packages, click here. Individual tickets went on sale to downtown residents on April 5 with a $2 discount per ticket. These can only be purchased at ticket outlets and require proof of zip code to get the discount. The ticket outlets are the Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas 9, 260 W. 23rd St. (between 7th and 8th Avenues) and the Regal Cinemas Battery Park Stadium 11, 102 North End Ave. (between Vesey and Murray Streets.) The general public could begin buying single tickets on April 6. During the Festival, tickets will be on sale at all Festival Venue box offices, based on screening or event availability. Ticketing locations open approximately one hour prior to the venue's first ticketed screening or event of the day.
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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of April 13
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Caroline Bragdon, a research scientist in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, explaining the habits of rats and how to control the rat population. On April 13, she will talk to Community Board 1's Planning Committee about the district's rodent issues. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
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.
April 13: Planning Committee
* World Trade Center - Update by Glenn Guzi, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
* Silverstein Properties - Update by Malcolm Williams, Construction Manager
* Route 9A - Update by Julie Nadel and Shilpan Patel, New York State Department of Transportation
* Move NY - Presentation by Jonathan Matz, Campaign Coordinator
* FY 2016 Manhattan Borough Budget Priorities Report - Presentation by Sam Levine, First Deputy Director of Budget, Manhattan Borough President's Office - Resolution
* Resiliency Implications of the Exxon Settlement for the Newark Bay Bi-state Estuary - Discussion/possible resolution
* Public Hearing on Int. 0732-2015 to require dedicated urban planner for each of the City's 59 community boards, April 30, 2015 - Resolution
* Zoning for Quality and Affordability text amendment - Update by CB1 Staff
April 14: Youth & Education Committee
* Manhattan Youth summer programs - Update
* Project Pay It Forward - Presentation by Amy Mintz, Founder and President of Student Body of America Association
* Implications of the new education budget - Discussion
* Teacher evaluations - Resolution
April 16: Quality of Life Committee
* NYC Department of Transportation Construction update
* Construction site safety during high winds - Discussion with Department of Transportation and Department of Buildings representatives
* Drone regulations - Presentation by David Swanson, Manager, NextGen Branch, Federal Aviation Administration
* Transit police and the public - Presentation by Robert Gangi, Director, Police Reform Organizing Project and Tanya Dwyer, Leader of the Community Outreach Committee of Trinity Church
* Rodent issues in CB1 - Update by Caroline Bragdon, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
* World Trade Center Health Registry - Update by NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
* United States Postal Service - Update
* Aging-Friendly Neighborhood Initiative in Lower Manhattan by Council Member Margaret Chin and The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) - Update
* Organizing a construction forum - Discussion
Community Board 1 loses five members: Five members of Community Board 1 did not seek reappointment. They are George Calderaro, co-chair of the Battery Park City Committee and a member of the Landmarks Committee; John Fratta, chair of the South Street Seaport/Civic Center Committee and member of the Executive Committee; Sarah Currie-Halpern, who was on the Planning and Quality of Life Committees; Coren Sharples, who served on the Landmarks and Youth and Education Committees and Allan Tannenbaum, who was on the Tribeca and Landmarks Committees.
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CALENDAR: Weeks of April 6 and April 13
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| | Poets House in Battery Park City presents an exhibit of drawings by Edward Sanders called "Seeking the Glyph." |
April 11: In observance of the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, the National Park Service is presenting a series of special activities at Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park. During the Civil War, it was known as Castle Garden and was the site of a recruiting office for the Union Army that specifically tried to recruit newly-arriving immigrants. They were offered a monthly wage, food and clothing, and an outdoor life with plenty of exercise. Some felt their service would demonstrate their loyalty and worthiness to their adopted country. Time: 10 a.m. A "Recruiting Office" featuring Civil War recruiting posters from various regiments; the Veteran Corps of Artillery will hold a ceremonial flag-raising, including march-in, accompanied by a drummer; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Recruiters will circulate among visitors, offering them the chance to enlist in return for a payment in "gold" on the spot. Those visitors who accept recruitment will receive a copy of a recruiting poster; 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Cannon firing by The Veteran Corps of Artillery. NPS Rangers and Civil War recruiters will guide interested visitors to the area where the firings will take place. Free.
April 12: The Municipal Arts Society's tour, "Battery Park in Lower Manhattan," explores the site of the Dutch West India Company's original settlement in Manhattan. Within Battery Park's 25 acres are Castle Clinton National Monument - originally built as a fortification that later became the city's first immigrant station, an urban farm, the SeaGlass carousel, Piet Oudolf's Gardens of Remembrance, a labyrinth and much more. The park has also become home to a large number of sculptures and memorials honoring a variety of New Yorkers. Art historian Sylvia Laudien-Meo leads the tour. Time: 2 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 (MAS members). To buy tickets, click here or call (212) 935-2075, Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meeting locations are provided after tickets are purchased. All tours proceed rain or shine. No refunds or exchanges. April 12: Staten Island's North Shore Business Association is hosting the third bi-annual restaurant crawl offering ticket holders a taste of house specialties at 22 restaurants. The crawl is from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., culminating with a Mix & Mingle event at Staten Island's renowned Flagship Brewery located at 40 Minthorne St. from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Most of the restaurants are within walking distance of the Staten Island ferry terminal at St. George or can be reached by bus. The S51 and S81 buses run down Bay Street, where 14 of the 22 restaurants are located. Tickets: $15 in advance. Click here to buy tickets. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the event for $20 at the Allstate Insurance office at 60 Bay St. or at the Flagship Brewery, 40 Minthorne St. For a map of the restaurant locations, click here. For more information about the restaurant crawl, click here.
Through April 30: During the month of April, Lynda Caspe is showing her sculpture, sculptural reliefs and preparatory drawings in the gallery at the office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. A member of the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors, her work has been exhibited at the Cooper Hewitt Museum, Westbeth Gallery, and the Synagogue of the Arts. Place: Manhattan Municipal Building, 1 Centre St., 19th floor South. Time: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. Through May 23: Poets House in Battery Park City presents Edward Sanders' "Seeking the Glyph." During the course of a long and diverse career as a poet, musician, historian, publisher, activist and pacifist, Sanders has invented a glyphic alphabet - a colorful script of hand-drawn characters, symbols, and graphemes. He says that, "A glyph is a drawing that is charged with literary, emotional, historical or mythic, and poetic intensity." This exhibition shows selected drawings and daybooks authored by Sanders between 1962 and the present. Place: 10 River Terrace. Time: Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The Museum of Jewish Heritage presents "Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism," an exhibition that explores the cultural context in which many Jewish �migr� architects and designers created a distinctly modern American design that still has wide appeal today. Walk-up tours will be offered on Sundays in May (except May 24) at 12 p.m. with no reservations necessary. Through January 2016. Place: 36 Battery Place. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "Artifacts & Memory: The Drawings of Nancy Patz" is at the Anne Frank Center USA through April 30. Nancy Patz is a Baltimore-born artist, teacher, lecturer, author, and illustrator. Inspired by a hat she saw on display at the Jewish Historical Museum in Amsterdam, Patz began a larger exploration of the power of artifacts and memory. The result was "Who Was the Woman Who Wore the Hat," a book she published in 2003 of moving pencil drawings, displayed here for the first time in their entirety. Using subdued watercolors and old photographs, the drawings bring the reality of the Holocaust into sharp focus by trying to recreate the story of the woman - faceless, nameless - behind this hat. Place: 44 Park Place. Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $8; $5 (students and seniors, 65 and over); free (children, ages 8 and under). For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The Skyscraper Museum's new exhibition, "Ten Tops," surveys all buildings in the world today, completed or under construction, that are 100 stories and taller. Of these 24 towers, the exhibition focuses on 10 (plus a few more), zooming in on their uppermost floors to see how they were designed and constructed. Through September 2015. Place: 39 Battery Place. Hours: Noon to 6 p.m., Wednesdays to Sundays. Admission: $5; $2.50 (students and seniors). For more information, click here.
Ongoing: Every Tuesday through May 9, Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place presents a variety showcase of live music, games, story time, magic, puppetry and more followed by a movie for the whole family. Time: Shows at 11 a.m. and noon. Movies at 1 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
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: "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: "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: 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. Temporarily closed: The South Street Seaport Museum's lightship Ambrose and its barque Peking, berthed at Piers 16 and 15, are closed to visitors through April 25 as the Museum prepares for its 2015 season. 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 2015 season will open on April 25.
Buy tickets now: On June 8 at 6 p.m., Poets House will once again embark on a poetic pilgrimage across the Brooklyn Bridge, stopping along the way to listen to NYC-inspired poetry and ending on the Brooklyn side of the bridge with dinner, wine and more poetry. This is the 20th anniversary of the fundraising event. All proceeds help make possible the hundreds of free and affordable public programs that Poets House presents each year. Tickets start at $250; ($225 for Poets House members). Reservations are required. To buy tickets online, click here. For details or to make reservations, contact Krista Manrique at (212) 431-7920, ext. 2830 or email krista@poetshouse.org
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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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