|
DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
|
|
|
|
Volume 2, No. 41 May 11, 2015
|
Quote of the day:
"We need to advocate on behalf of all women who are struggling and to invest in the well-being of our fellow women of New York."
- Catherine McVay Hughes, chairperson of Community Board 1, who was honorary host at a banquet at the New York City Rescue Mission for homeless women and their families
* Brookfield announces North Cove Marina opening * Bits & Bytes: Ghostbusters firehouse to close for three years; Fire at Indian Point nuclear plant; Homeless women
* Downtown Bulletin Board: Battery Park seeks volunteers; Free Citi Bike day; Free Tai Chi classes
* Downtown history: 100 years since the sinking of the Lusitania
* Letter to the editor: Helicopters, hazardous to the Lower Manhattan community
* Community Board 1 meetings: Week of May 11
* Calendar: Week of May 11
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here. DONATIONS FOR NEPAL: More than 6,000 people are known to have died in the earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday. The New York Times has published a list of organizations that are collecting money to help the victims. To see the list, 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. 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. MASTHEAD PHOTO: A helicopter hovering over the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. May 7, 2015. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BROOKFIELD ANNOUNCES NORTH COVE MARINA OPENING; AFTER THREE MONTHS OF NEGOTIATIONS, CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN SIGNED
|
|
North Cove Marina in Battery Park City as it looked on May 7, 2015. In January, the Battery Park City Authority announced that it had awarded a contract to Brookfield Office Properties to manage the marina for the next 10 years, but the contract was only finalized and signed last week. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
North Cove Marina, public parkland that lies in the heart of 92-acre Battery Park City, has been empty for months with no indication of what this summer's boating season would bring or when it would start. Now, the veil has been lifted. On Jan. 22, 2015, the Battery Park City Authority, which administers the marina, had announced that it had awarded a contract to Brookfield Property Partners to run it for the next 10 years. Having no experience in marina operations, Brookfield, in turn, said that it would engage Island Global Yachting (IGY) to manage the marina. Then, there was silence. |
| |
David Cheikin of Brookfield addressing Community Board 1's Battery Park City Committee.
|
On Tuesday, May 5, David Cheikin, Brookfield's senior vice president for leasing in the New York region, appeared before Community Board 1's Battery Park City Committee. He said that in addition to IGY, the Offshore Sailing School, owned and operated by Doris and Steve Colgate, would be at the marina. Activity would begin in May he said, but added, "We have not yet finalized all the contracts between ourselves. The marina will be partially open this season. As of next season, it will be fully renovated and fully repositioned." By the end of the week, the contracts had been signed. On Sunday, Doris Colgate was at work putting together a website for the Offshore Sailing School's operations at the marina. "We all signed last week!" she said in an email. "It's official!" Still, there are many unanswered questions about how the marina will be used. Beginning in July, the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) will be repairing and replacing the piles on the south side of the marina, which will further limit what is already a fairly small space. That work will end in October. There are four entities with a financial interest in the marina - the BPCA, Brookfield, IGY and the Offshore Sailing School. Money was on Cheikin's mind. "Everyone involved, from the Authority throughout, has a financial participation in how [the marina] works," he said. "What we would like to do is to make sure that it's revenue efficient." He said that Brookfield hoped to have a "dock and dine" ability for people who might not want a seasonal berth for their boats but who might want to bring them to the marina for the weekend because it's close to their apartment. He also said there would be party boats that would take out charter cruises. The Offshore Sailing School would have seven boats in the marina this year, Cheikin said, increasing to 12 boats next season. Each of those boats can accommodate up to six students. The remainder of the limited docking space would go to IGY to apportion among the yachts that want a berth in the marina. There would be no clubhouse as there was in previous years when Michael Fortenbaugh managed the marina. "Can you speak to the historic ships and their ability to be in the marina?" Battery Park City Committee member Tammy Meltzer asked Cheikin. "We've talked to all the historic ships," Cheikin replied. "We have yet to announce who we're going to contract with. I think that once we're able to announce that, people will be pleasantly surprised. We're trying to bring back people who have been here." In the past, the Shearwater, a schooner built in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Ventura, a sailing yacht built in 1922 for George Baker, a founder of Citibank, have been in the marina and have taken people out on day and evening sails around the harbor. "These are classic schooner boats, and we have spoken at so many meetings - I can't tell you [how many] - about how much we don't want a party boat [in the marina] or even at Pier A," said committee member Jeff Mihok. He said that the party boats would be noisy and would bring in crowds of people getting on and off, "but the schooners are beautiful boats," he said. "They come and go in a quiet way. They add a historic element and they're an incredible value. They're not cheap but they're something that people can do." He said that it was important for people to be able to access the waterfront without paying a lot of money. "I can't commit that you're going to get everything that you want to happen but the reason we're here is to understand," Cheikin replied. "We want to make sure that we don't have socio-economic barriers to the waterfront," said Meltzer. "Although it's widely touted that this is such a wealthy community, there are people from all walks of life who live here and all income levels." " I'm understanding that you're getting calls from people who have a lot of money who have boats who they do want to dock here and you're not hearing from the common man," said committee member Justine Cuccia to Cheikin. "I'm the common man. ... It's so nice to have stores [at Brookfield] and so nice to have them open again. I cannot shop there. I cannot eat there."
She said there were a lot of people in the community who couldn't afford that. She also said that she was very angry. "The marina is public parkland," she said. "I'm here and I'm on this board fighting for a public space and access for the common man who lives in this neighborhood." " This is exactly what we feared," said Mihok. "This is why we didn't want you [the Battery Park City Authority] to do this [award the marina contract to Brookfield] and it's outrageous." About the sailing school, he said, " There used to be more boats than we could count and now you're talking about seven. What's going on?" "This is the program that we're going to be launching," Cheikin replied.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
|
|
|
Bits & Bytes
GHOSTBUSTERS FIREHOUSE; LUXURY CONDO WILL REPLACE SIX TRIBECA BUILDINGS; INDIAN POINT NUCLEAR PLANT FIRE; HOMELESS WOMEN
|
| | A homeless woman in Grand Central Terminal. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Firehouse from 'Ghostbusters' to Close for Renovations," Curbed.com, 5/6/15. "The Ladder 8 company firehouse at 14 North Moore Street in Tribeca is about to be closed for a three-year gut renovation, despite having a received a perfectly good renovation circa 1984 from Drs. Venkman, Stanz, and Spengler, in the movie Ghostbusters," says Curbed.com "A Fire Department spokesperson claims that the renovation is being done so that the house will be better able to accommodate modern firetrucks, which are larger and heavier than they used to be." For the complete article, click here. "Six TriBeCa buildings will be torn down to make way for a new super-luxury condo," Crain's New York Business, 5/7/15. "Cape Advisors has purchased high-end TriBeCa properties for $1,000 per square foot, a price that underscores the eagerness among builders to deliver luxury housing in the city's most exclusive neighborhoods," says Crain's New York Business. "The company paid $50 million for a collection of six buildings along West Broadway between Warren and Murray streets. It plans to tear them down and construct a roughly 46,000-square-foot condo building." For the complete article, click here. "Tribeca parking garage hits market for $88M," The Real Deal, 5/7/15. "The Calicchio family, private Tribeca-based investors, is hoping to score $88 million for a five-story parking garage that is ripe for a potential luxury residential conversion," according to The Real Deal. "The 41,000-square-foot garage at 56 North Moore Street, between Greenwich and Hudson streets, in Tribeca will be delivered vacant. The property offers 44,000 square feet of existing development rights. The price would equate to roughly $2,000 per square foot. The Calicchio family have owned the property since 1983, property records show." The Real Deal comments that, "Long-time Tribeca owners have been selling their sites for skyrocketing prices. Last summer, a development site on Broadway between Leonard and Franklin streets traded for $73 million, or $550 per buildable square foot." For the complete article, click here. "Investigation, Cleanup Underway After Transformer Fire at Indian Point Nuclear Plant," Eyewitness News, WABC-TV, 5/10/15. "An investigation is underway after a transformer failed at the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Buchanan, Westchester County [on Saturday], causing a fire that forced an automatic shutdown of a reactor," says Eyewitness News on WABC-TV New York. "The fire was quickly extinguished and the reactor was deemed safe and stable, said a spokesman for owner Entergy Corp. But there is concern about oil leaking into the Hudson River." Indian Point is located around 35 miles from New York City. There have been fires there in the past, and it is near an earthquake fault line. According to WABC-TV, the Office of Emergency Management said, "the fire was located within the power plant complex, and not in the nuclear area of the facility." For the complete article, click here. Homeless women: On the eve of Mother's Day comes a sobering statistic. There are 64,000 homeless people in New York City shelters, including 14,519 families with 25,640 children. In recent years, according to the NYC Rescue Mission, homelessness reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s. |
| |
Catherine McVay Hughes, chairperson of Community Board 1, serving lunch to homeless women and their familites at the New York City Rescue Mission. (Photo: Human Pictures)
|
On May 9, the Rescue Mission, which is the oldest homeless shelter in the United States, gave a banquet for nearly 500 homeless women and their families. The aim of the event, said the Rescue Mission, "is to raise awareness of the growing number of women and children in New York City who are homeless and hungry. Recent data shows that this group is the largest growing homeless population in the city." Catherine McVay Hughes, chairperson of Community Board 1, was the honorary host for the banquet, called "Honor Her," and served the first meal. She said that it meant a lot to her to be part of the event. "We need to advocate on behalf of all women who are struggling and to invest in the well-being of our fellow women of New York," she said. She also commented that the Rescue Mission had been there "for all members of our community when folks evacuated downtown and during [Superstorm] Sandy. There is a serious homeless problem in New York City and they are a key part of the solution, taking care of one person at a time. Unfortunately, the woman and child homeless population is growing. I encourage folks to volunteer." The New York City Rescue Mission is located at 90 Lafayette St. The forerunner of the New York City Rescue Mission was founded in 1872. Until recently, it only served homeless men. In June 2014, it opened its doors to women as well. It shelters 240 people a night, 30 of them, women. The Rescue Mission is awaiting a permit from the city that would allow it to shelter 70 women a night. Once admitted to the Rescue Mission, clients can stay for seven nights, though they must leave during the daytime and return. In the afternoon, there are always long lines of people hoping to get a bed, said Megan Mayes, director of marketing and communications for the Rescue Mission. "It's heartbreaking to have to turn women away," she commented, "especially the elderly." For more information about the New York City Rescue Mission, click here. - Terese Loeb Kreuzer
|
|
|
Downtown bulletin board
BATTERY PARK SEEKS VOLUNTEERS; FREE CITI BIKE DAY; FREE TAI CHI CLASSES; DOWNTOWN POST PORTFOLIO; LIBERTY BRIDGE CLOSES
|
|
More than six million people visit historic Battery Park every year. The Battery Conservancy, which helps to maintain and enhance the 25-acre park at the southern end of Manhattan, seeks volunteers to assist with gardening, greeting visitors and other tasks. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
|
Volunteer in Battery Park: Historic Battery Park is a 25-acre park at the southern end of Manhattan. It is under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and of the National Park Service because of the presence in the park of the Castle Clinton National Monument. The Battery Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization that works with the city, state and federal governments to enhance the park with a variety of architectural and horticultural projects. The Conservancy seeks volunteers to help maintain The Battery for the more than six million people who visit each year. They are needed to assist with gardening, greeting visitors, maintaining benches and surfaces and preparing for events. Volunteers usually work in the park on Tuesdays and Thursdays from March through October. For more information about how to volunteer, click here. Free Citi Bike Day: Citi Bike will be free on Thursday, May 14, courtesy of Switzerland Tourism. From 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., Citi Bike day-passes will be available for free at any Citi Bike station kiosk. This is the first time a partner has provided a free day of Citi Bike passes. Riders will just need to swipe a credit card and select the 24-Hour Access Pass option. No promo code is needed. A $101 security hold may be placed on the card. Standard overtime fees apply to trips that last longer than 30 minutes. Switzerland Tourism says that it is doing this in honor of Bike-to-Work Week, plus it wants New York City's bike riders to know that Switzerland offers 5,600 miles of cycling routes and 2,800 miles of biking trails as part of a program called SwitzerlandMobility. "Switzerland is the place to go for anyone who wants to swap NYC's high-rise buildings for stunning mountain scenery and city bike lanes for well-marked cycling and mountain bike routes which crisscross a land full of surprises," Switzerland Tourism says.
Free Tai Chi classes: Warrior Bridge, which opened in January in the South Street Seaport to teach martial arts, meditation and yoga, is offering free Tai Chi classes in the Peck Slip Plaza on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. The Warrior Bridge studio is at 275 Water St. For more information about Warrior Bridge, click here. In Battery Park City, free Tai Chi classes take place on Friday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on Esplanade Plaza, just south of North Cove Marina. Alex Hing, the instructor, also teaches at the China Institute and at Sacred Sounds of Yoga. No experience is necessary for the Tai Chi classes and all levels are welcome. The classes are under the auspices of the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy and run through Oct. 31 except on May 23, July 4, Aug. 29 and Oct. 31. For more information, click here. Seniors' poetry workshop reading: Members of the Seniors poetry workshop led by Steven Sher that was held in late fall 2014 at the Independence Plaza Senior Center at Greenwich House will have their workshop publication launch party and reading at Poets House on Tuesday, May 12 in the conference room. All are welcome to attend. Place: 10 River Terrace. Time: 2 p.m. Spring planting at DeLury Square Park: Join the Friends of DeLury Park on May 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Spring Planting Day, a citywide event sponsored by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. All tools and planting materials are provided. DeLury Square Park is at the corner of Fulton and Gold Streets, next to Southbridge Towers. Rain date is Sunday, May 17. For more information, click here.
Financial District Lions Club raises money for Nepal relief effort: Terry Paladini-Baumgarten, president and founder of the New York Financial District Lions Club, vividly remembers what happened in Lower Manhattan on 9/11. Helplessly, she watched victims of the terrorist attack jump from the burning towers. "We are grateful for our lives, but all this motivated me to do something for others in need," she wrote in the aftermath of the attack. That's why she founded the Financial District Lions Club, part of an organization started in 1917 whose mission is to "empower volunteers to serve in their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding." From funds collected around the world, Lions Clubs International has already sent $1 million to help the victims of the Nepal earthquake. The Financial District Lions Club is helping in this effort by collecting donations to aid the victims. Funds collected will be sent to the Lions Clubs International for distribution to where the money is most needed, with 100 percent of funds contributed going to the Nepalese. To donate through Pay Pal, click here. To donate through the FiDi Lions Club website, click here. Liberty Street bridge to close: On May 11 at 6 a.m., the Liberty Street bridge will be closed to pedestrian traffic in order to remove the temporary bridge extension from the Route 9A median to the sidewalk in front of 90 West St. Pedestrian and handicap access to the Battery Park City/World Financial Center will be available via the north and south crosswalks at Albany Street and the north crosswalk at Liberty Street. The Liberty Street bridge will remain closed until its eastern connection to the World Trade Center complex is complete.
Focus groups and Town Hall meetings on aging: On June 3, the New York Academy of Medicine will be conducting a focus group on aging at the Battery Park City library, 175 North End Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon. The NYAM is looking for a maximum of 12 people aged 55 or older, to participate. Each participant will be paid $20. All information will be kept confidential. To sign up, call Anushka Gopilall at (212) 822-7237 or email agopilall@nyam.org.
In addition to this focus group, City Councilmember Margaret Chin, who chairs City Council's Committee on Aging, hosted a town hall meeting on May 1 and is hosting one on June 5 to discuss issues affecting the elderly. The May 1 town hall was co-sponsored by Community Boards 1, 2 and 3 and took place at the City Hall Senior Center, 100 Gold St. The June 5 town hall will be held at the Educational Alliance, 197 E. Broadway from 10 a.m. to noon. To attend, send an email to Xiaomin Zhao at XZhao@council.nyc.gov. Beach volleyball at Pier 25: Kids in grades 6 through 12 can sign up for Beach Volleyball instruction and games at Pier 25 in Hudson River Park. The League runs from May 15 to July 17 on Friday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The program is free for Downtown Community Center members. The fee for non-members is $25. Sponsorships are needed. Email jim@manhattanyouth.org to become a sponsor. To register, click here. Battery Park City Parks Conservancy summer programming: The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy organizes free art, gardening, science, yoga, tai chi and sports programs that run from early May through late October in BPC's parks. The programs are for children as young as three years old to adults. Some are drop-in programs. Others require advance registration. For more information, click here.
Malaysian Kitchen grand opening: Malaysian Kitchen at 21 South End Ave. overlooking South Cove in Battery Park City, held its grand opening on April 18 with lion dancers and drummers. "The lion dance is a traditional Chinese celebration," said Malaysian Kitchen owner, Kirby Tan, "but now, all of southeast Asia has adopted this culture." The lion dancers are trained in Kung Fu. Their dancing is accompanied by drumming and firecrackers "to try to scare the evil spirits away and bring good luck." |
|
Kirby Tan, owner of Malaysian Kitchen at 21 South End. Ave. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
For extra good luck, the sponsor of the lion dance feeds the lions lettuce and gives them money. Malaysian cuisine reflects the historical influences of the English, the Portuguese and the Dutch, and the country's present connection to its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Malaysian Kitchen is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It will deliver. The phone number is (212) 786-1888. For more information about Malaysian Kitchen, click here. Downtown Post Portfolio is a regular feature in Downtown Post NYC, showcasing artists and photographers who live and/or work south of Canal Street or who create images (paintings, drawings, photographs) of Lower Manhattan. To have your work considered for publication in Downtown Post Portfolio, send up to seven high-resolution jpeg files attached to an email to editor@downtownpostnyc.com. (One of the photos should be a picture of you.) Several of these photos will be published in Downtown Post NYC, along with a short artist bio and a statement about the work submitted, including whether or not it is for sale and how to purchase it. Not all entries can be published. Copyright remains with the artist. Before publication, each contributor will be asked to sign a release stating that Downtown Post NYC has the right to publish the work in the emailed newsletter and in the Downtown Post archives, and that there is no payment.
Downtown Little League opening day photo gallery: The Downtown Little League kicked off its 2015 season on April 18. This year, there are just under 1,100 players on 81 teams. For photos of the opening day, click here. Whitney Museum of American Art photo gallery: The Whitney Museum of American Art at 99 Gansevoort St. opened to the public on May 1. For photographs of the Whitney Museum's new building and of its opening exhibition, click here. South Street Seaport Museum Opening Day: The South Street Seaport Museum opened its 2015 season on April 25 with events on Pier 16 and activities for kids and their families in the lobby of the museum's 12 Fulton St. building. For photographs of the museum's opening day, click here. Downtown Post Portfolio: Jay Fine: Jay Fine is a New York City fine-art photographer and photojournalist, based in Lower Manhattan whose work was featured in Downtown Post Portfolio ( DPNYC, 5/6/15). To see some more of Fine's work on the Downtown Post NYC website, click here.
|
|
|
Downtown history
THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA
|
|
The Lusitania arriving at Pier 54 in 1908 when the pier was new.
|
Thousands of cars a day go as quickly as they can past the rusting arch that fronts crumbling Pier 54 on the Hudson River just south of 14th Street. Still discernible, the faint words "Cunard White Star Line" are painted on the iron facade. On May 1, 1915 at 12:20 p.m., the second largest ocean liner in the world left this pier, propelled into the Hudson River by a fleet of tugboats. The Cunard Line's majestic Lusitania was bound for Liverpool, England with 1,266 passengers on board and a crew of 696 people - her 202nd trans-Atlantic crossing. |
| |
The Lusitania passing the Battery.
|
One of the fastest ships in the world, the Lusitania had left Liverpool on her maiden voyage to New York City on Sept. 7, 1907. Around 200,000 people crowded the pier that day to watch her departure. When she arrived in New York on Sept. 13, 1907, hundreds of thousands of people lined the shore of the Hudson River from the Battery to Pier 56 to watch her come in. The Lusitania was the epitome of luxury, at least in the first-class accommodations, and of technological marvels. The first-class dining saloon spanned two decks crowned by an elaborate dome. The walls were mahogany, painted white and gilded. The furnishings were in the style of Louis XVI. The first-class lounge was paneled in mahogany surrounded by decorative plasterwork. The library was paneled in grey and cream silk brocade. The ship was equipped with a wireless telegraph, electric lighting, electric lifts, and an early form of air-conditioning. On that last, 202nd crossing, the Lusitania never made it to Liverpool. Near the south coast of Ireland, around 11 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale, she was struck by a torpedo fired from a German U-Boat. It pierced the Lusitania on the starboard bow, just under the wheelhouse and the ship began to sink quickly. Only six of its 48 lifeboats could be launched. Eighteen minutes after the torpedo struck, the bow of the upturned ship touched the seabed, and soon the stern also disappeared under the water. Among the first-class passengers were Charles Frohman, 58, an American theater manager credited for creating the Broadway star system, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, 37, a millionaire sportsman who was traveling to a meeting of the International Horse Breeders' Association, Elbert Hubbard, 58, a famous writer and founder of the Roycrofters, who was on his way to Germany to interview Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Sir Hugh Lane, 39, an art collector and philanthropist, who established the first known public gallery of modern art in the world, Dublin's Municipal Gallery of Modern Art. All were among those killed. Only 764 people survived the sinking. Of those, three later died of their injuries. What remains of the Lusitania is still on the seabed off the coast of Ireland. As for Pier 54, many of those who know its story - (it was also the place where the survivors of the Titanic sinking disembarked in April 1912) - hope that the iron arch in front of the pier will be preserved. This is where billionaire Barry Diller, proposes to build a $170 million park on a mini-island in the Hudson River, approximately where Pier 54 now stands. Renderings of the proposed park, to be known as Pier 55, do not seem to show the Cunard arch as part of the plans. - Terese Loeb Kreuzer|
| |
Pier 54 fronted by a rusting arch that says "Cunard White Star Line."
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
|
|
|
|
Letter to the editor
HELICOPTERS, HAZARDOUS TO THE LOWER MANHATTAN COMMUNITY
|
| |
A helicopter flying over New York Harbor's Upper Bay on May 7, 2015.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
|
To the editor:(Re: " Battery Park City helicopter noise is worse than in Baghdad," DPNYC, 5/6/15): I have just read the impressive letter written by Paul Rieckhoff, army veteran, who wrote that the helicopter noise in Battery Park City is worse than what he heard in Baghdad (!), and I am writing to add my voice in the same vein. Downtown residents for 44 years, living near the Brooklyn Bridge, eye witness to the atrocity of 9/11, and being frequenters of the South Street Seaport, Battery Park and all the downtown area, my family and I have frequently been discommoded, on the walking paths, in the parks, and even in our own home, by the noise of numerous helicopters in the air simultaneously and far too close together at very low altitude. It might surprise many readers that there is no such safeguard as "traffic controllers" for low-flying aircraft; only visual surveillance by the aircraft pilot and crew protects us all from a disaster. Noise pollution might be the least of the dire outcomes of this recklessness. I call upon our elected officials to protect downtown families, and all our visitors, from the hazardous practice of greedy helicopter tour operators. Thomasina LaGuardiaFrom the editor:We welcome letters to the editor. Email them to editor@downtownpostnyc.com. We reserve the right to edit them for clarity and length.
|
COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of May 11
|
| | On May 11, Murray Fisher, president of the NY Harbor Foundation, will make a presentation to Community Board 1's Planning Committee about the Billion Oyster Project. (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.
May 11: Planning Committee
* Housing New York, A Five-Borough, Ten-Year Plan - Update by New York City Department of Housing, Preservation and Development
* Billion Oyster Project - Presentation by Murray Fisher, President, NY Harbor Foundation & Pete Malinowski, Project Director
* Zoning for Quality and Affordability - Discussion
May 12: Youth & Education Committee
* Crossing guards for CB1 schools - Discussion
* Peck Slip school traffic safety issues - Discussion
May 13: Tribeca Committee
* Citi building and plaza renovations - Update by John Krush, Managing Director, Citi Realty Services
* 52 Duane St., application for restaurant wine and beer license for Fika 52 Duane Street LLC - Resolution
* 251 Church St., application for restaurant liquor license for Two Hands Tribeca LLC d/b/a Two Hands - Resolution
* Heritage of Pride June 2015 events on Pier 26, Hudson River Park - Report
* 329 Greenwich St., application for wine and beer license for Muse Tribeca, LLC d/b/a Muse Paintbar - Resolution
* Temporary Public Plaza on West Broadway between Franklin and Leonard Streets - postponed until September date to be determined - Update
The following notices have been received for renewal, upgrade, or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses or sidewalk cafe permits:
* 187 Church St., renewal of wine and beer license for An Hao 187 Inc. d/b/a Akimoto Sushi
* 157 Duane St., renewal of liquor license for Kio Restaurant LLC
* 189 Franklin St., renewal of sidewalk cafe license for MVNBC Corp. d/b/a Benvenuto
* 34 White St., application for renewal of unenclosed sidewalk caf� license for Petrarca
* 59 Reade St., application for renewal of restaurant liquor license for 59 Mact Corp d/b/a Maxwells
* 135 West Broadway, renewal of restaurant liquor license for 135 West B Food & Drink
May 14: Landmarks Committee
* Historic Districts in Lower Manhattan -- Staff Presentation
* 65 Broadway, application for storefront renovation - Resolution
* 249 Church St., application for storefront renovation and installation of handicapped access ramp - Resolution
* Building 555, Governors Island, application for window replacement, new rear entrance and new chiller and enclosure - Resolution
|
|
|
CALENDAR: Week of May 11
|
|
Galway Kinnell reading Walt Whitman's "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," as he did for many years at the annual Brooklyn Bridge benefit walk for Poets House. A tribute to Kinnell, who died on Oct. 28, 2014, will be held on May 12 in the Great Hall at Cooper Union.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
May 12: Pen Parentis Literary Salons, founded to celebrate the creative work of writers who are also parents, closes its season with readings by best-selling author Sarah Pekkanen ( "The Opposite of Me," "Skipping a Beat," "These Girls," and "The Best of Us"), Pulitzer Prize nominee Charles McNair, Amazon #1 Women's Fiction pick author Amy Scheibe, and writing phenomenon Liz Rosenberg, author of four novels, five books of poems and more than 20 award-winning books for children. The night begins with networking over wine. Readings and signings will be followed by Q&A moderated by Pen Parentis founder M. M. De Voe and its new Salons curator, novelist Christina Chiu. Place: The elegant private library at the historic New York Times Building, 41 Park Row, 16th floor. Time: 7 p.m. Free. RSVP is required through the Pen Parentis website. Pen Parentis Literary Salons are open to all adults over the age of 21. Books will be vended and proceeds go to the Community Bookstore in Brooklyn. For more information and to make a reservation, click here. May 12: Tribute to Galway Kinnell. Galway Kinnell (1927-2014), winner of the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and author of over 30 books, was a dear friend to Poets House, the 60,000-volume poetry library in Battery Park City. Join Jonathan Safran Foer, Edward Hirsch, Marie Howe, Yusef Komunyakaa, Mirah Kozodoy, Sharon Olds, Poets House Board Member Myra Shapiro, Gerald Stern, and C.K. Williams in celebrating the life and work of a remarkable writer and much-missed man. Kinnell's career spanned almost 50 years, from 1960's "What a Kingdom It Was" to "Strong is Your Hold" from 2006. Selected Poems (2002) received both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Place: The Great Hall at Cooper Union, 7 E. 7th St. Time: 7:30 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
May 13: "Witness to History: The Images of PFC Tony Vaccaro." On the 70th anniversary of VE Day, Alex Kershaw, New York Times best-selling author of "The Liberator," talks with 92 year-old legendary photographer Tony Vaccaro, who smuggled his portable 35mm camera onto the battlefield and created one of the most intimate and comprehensive records of daily life as a soldier. Place: Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place. Time: 4 p.m. Free (donations welcome). For more information, click here. May 13: The Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe with several special programs. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger will talk with Charlie Rose (Charlie Rose, CBS News This Morning, and Peabody and Emmy Recipient for 2014) his own experience in WWII as a refugee from Nazi Germany and a veteran of the U.S. Army during the war. Dr. Kissinger, as historian and statesman, will also reflect on the impact of that greatest of conflicts on the seven decades that have passed since it ended. Place: 36 Battery Place. Time: 7 p.m. Tickets: $25; $20 (museum members). For more information, click here. May 14: A commemoration of the centennial of the Armenian genocide at the Museum of Jewish Heritage features pianist Hayk Arsenyan. On April 24, 1915, Ottoman officials ordered the deportation of Armenian intellectuals from Constantinople - a devastating blow that stripped the beleaguered community of the ability to defend itself. Word of the atrocity that befell the Armenians a century ago was spread, in no small part, by Henry Morgenthau Sr., the American ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and the grandfather of the Museum's Chairman Emeritus, Robert M. Morgenthau. Remembering the Armenian Genocide has always been important for the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Space is limited. RSVP by Monday, May 11 to cearp@mjhnyc.org or call (646) 437-4368. Place: 36 Battery Place. Time: 6:30 p.m. For more information, click here. May 14: "Person, Place, Thing" with Randy Cohen and Diane Ackerman. Emmy Award-winner Randy Cohen, widely known as the original writer of "The Ethicist" for New York Times Magazine, returns to Poets House for a second live recording of his beloved public radio show, during which he interviews popular public figures about one person, place and thing they find meaningful. Poet, essayist and naturalist, guest Diane Ackerman is the author of two dozen works of nonfiction and poetry. This special evening will include music played by Irish harpist Maeve Gilchrist and great stories. Place: 10 River Terrace. Time: 7 p.m. Tickets: $10; $7 (students and seniors); free (Poets House members). For more information, click here.
May 15: "Safeguarding Historic Places in Times of Armed Conflict" will be the subject when Lisa Ackerman, art historian, Executive Vice President of the World Monuments Fund and a Battery Park City neighbor, shares her insights into the important work of preserving historic world art in times of armed conflict. Place: 21 West Thames St. Community Room. Time: 10:30 a.m. Free. To reserve a seat, call (212) 912-0678 or email Ruth Ohman at rohman605@gmail.com
May 15: This is the 14th year that the Sunset Singing Circle has been held on Friday evenings in Battery Park City, led by singer/guitarist Terre Roche. As the sun sets over the Hudson River, novice and experienced singers sit on the lawn and sing folk songs (with words provided in the Sunset Singing Circle Songbook). Players of acoustic instruments are encouraged to add their skills to the mix. Place: Wagner Park. Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
May 16: Tribute to Wanda Coleman. Los Angeles poet and writer Wanda Coleman (1946-2013) was the author of 20 books, most recently "The World Falls Away" and, with Austin Straus, "The Love Project: A Marriage Made in Poetry." Considered the "Unofficial Poet Laureate of Los Angeles," Coleman was active across the city's artistic scenes as a poet, performer, and singer, devoted to themes of racism and the female experience. Join Mahogany L. Browne, Steve Cannon, Cornelius Eady, Bob Holman, Tyehimba Jess, Patricia Spears Jones, Julie Patton, Austin Straus and Quincy Troupe for readings and discussion of the life and legacy of this electric and under-recognized pivotal poet of the post-war period. Place: 10 River Terrace. Time: 3 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. May 16: The first "Go Fish!" of this season takes place at Wagner Park with lessons in catch-and-release fishing from experienced anglers and an introduction to the aquatic life of the Hudson River. Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem will perform bluegrass filled with humor. Art projects and bird watching are also part of the event. Time: Fishing, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Art projects, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Birdwatching, 11 a.m.; Performance, 12:30 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. May 17: At Bowne Printers, part of the South Street Seaport Museum, resident printer Ali Osborn teaches the basics of carving and printing linoleum blocks in a three-and-a-half-hour-long workshop. Bring a few ideas for images and learn how to transfer and carve your design into linoleum followed by inking and printing your linoleum block by hand. At the end of the class, Osborn shows how to lock up all of the blocks on the museum's Vandercook press to create a poster. Students go home with their own block, individual prints, and one poster of everyone's prints together. All materials supplied. Registration required. Limited availability. Suitable for apprentices 13 and up. Place: 209 Water St. Time: 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tickets: $50; $40 (museum members). For more information and to buy tickets, 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: "America in Circulation: A History of US Currency Featuring the Collection of Mark R. Shenkman," an exhibition at the Museum of American Finance, showcases around 250 rare examples of American paper money accompanied by large, interactive touch screen displays. From Colonial times, American money has told a fascinating story of the country's struggles and successes. Often local and national currencies competed and coexisted with each other, while economic depression, war and counterfeiting drove constant advances in design. The exhibition spans the period from the Colonial era to the present day. Highlights include rare examples of currency bearing the signatures of signers of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence; a complete set of notes from the Educational Series of 1896, renowned for being the most beautiful paper money in American history; and rare examples of high denomination notes including $5,000 and $10,000 bills. Through March 2018. To see an online version of the exhibition, click here. Place: 48 Wall St. Museum is open Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission: $8; $5 (students and seniors); free (museum members and kids 6 and under). For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "Cer�mica de los Ancestros: Central America's Past Revealed" displays 155 ancient objects from the National Museum of the American Indian's rarely seen collections of Central American ceramics. The exhibition examines seven regions representing distinct Central American cultural areas that are today part of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, where Central America's first inhabitants lived. Dating back to 1000 B.C., the ceramics help tell the story of the innumerable achievements of these ancient civilizations, each with unique, sophisticated ways of life, value systems and arts. Through January 2017. Place: 1 Bowling Green. The National Museum of the American Indian is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursdays, until 8 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: 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: 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.
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.
|
|
|
Downtown Post NYC is emailed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
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
|
|
|
|
|
