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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 2, No. 53 July 3, 2015
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Quote of the day:
"We should know where our food comes from and not just be using mass-produced food."
- Chris Snowberger, chef de cuisine at Pier A Harbor House
* Pier A Harbor House's peaceful upstairs restaurant * Bits & Bytes: World Trade Center dining; 56 Walker St. condos; 60-story Seaport tower
* Downtown Bulletin Board: Water Street Greenmarket opens; Free week-night kayaking
* Letter to the editor: New Market Building crumbling from neglect
* Community Board 1 meeting: Weeks of June 29 and July 6
* Calendar: Independence Day celebrations in Lower Manhattan
* Governors Island weekend
* Calendar: Week of June 29
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here. ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING: Alternate side parking and parking meter regulations are suspended on Friday and Saturday, July 3-4, for observance of Independence Day. IF YOU LIKE DOWNTOWN POST NYC - Downtown Post NYC is emailed free to subscribers, but if you like DPNYC and want to support it, you can do that in three ways. 1) Support Downtown Post's advertisers by clicking on their ads, and if you use their services, tell them that you read about them in DPNYC. 2) Consider advertising in DPNYC if you have a business, service or event that you want to promote. 3) Tell people about DPNYC and suggest that they subscribe. They can sign up at www.DowntownPostNYC.com. 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: The Statue of Liberty. July 4, 2013. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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PIER A HARBOR HOUSE'S PEACEFUL UPSTAIRS RESTAURANT|
| | Chris Snowberger, Chef de Cuisine at Pier A Harbor House. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The Long Hall and Oyster Bar on the first floor of Pier A, Manhattan's only surviving 19th century pier, and the upstairs dining rooms (a series of rooms with food coming from the same kitchen) are not the same thing. The Long Hall serves an upscale version of fast food (fish and chips, sliders, chicken strips and the like) to tourists and locals and has a large and busy bar. Upstairs is peaceful, with widely separated tables in rooms decorated to evoke the late 19th century when Pier A at the junction of Battery Park City and The Battery was built. Upstairs, carefully prepared food uses seasonal and local ingredients as much as possible. The menu emphasizes seafood but meat and vegetable dishes are also available. |
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Sunday brunch at Pier A Harbor House.
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On Sundays, an elaborate brunch buffet has the usual scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and eggs Benedict, but also smoked and wild salmon, oysters, shrimp, lobster tails, pasta, fingerling potatoes, cheese, cold cuts, fruit, salads, French toast, pancakes, a variety of breads and pastries for dessert. The dinner menu has already changed more than once since the upstairs dining room opened on May 5. It currently features such entr�es as soft-shell crabs, wild king salmon, diver sea scallops, angus beef filet mignon, veal porterhouse with wild mushroom risotto and Green Circle Farm roasted chicken with whipped potatoes, ranging in price from $31 to $47. |
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Seafood at Sunday brunch with views of The Battery and the harbor.
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Under executive chef, Joseph Mallol, Chris Snowberger, the 31-year-old chef de cuisine at Pier A Harbor House, is in charge of the day-to-day operations of the upstairs dining room. This is Snowberger's first major job as a chef. The restaurant where he now works is directly across the harbor from Ellis Island, where one of his great-grandfathers, Christos Vlahos, then age 19, got off a boat from Greece in 1907. " Christos seems to have fought his way to the front of the line of a boatload of Greeks to be one of the first to set foot in America," says Snowberger. "He was number 20 in line."As Snowberger tells the story of how he ended up at Pier A Harbor House, there seems to have been a certain amount of serendipity involved as well as talent and hard work. Brought up in New Mexico, he graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a degree in business, but didn't know what he wanted to do. So he lit out for San Francisco where he had family, and enrolled in culinary school at San Francisco City College. Two years later at the age of 25, he emerged with a second degree but no job. |
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Bread and pastries with housemade vegetable cream cheese and other spreads.
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"I had a friend in Miami who was about to sign a lease for a new apartment," he recalls. "He asked if he should get a two bedroom. I said yes. I had enough money for two or three months of rent." Just before his money ran out, Snowberger found a job as a bottom-of-the-totem-pole line cook at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale. "It was a very busy kitchen with high standards," he says - and not always fun. He thought of giving up, but he didn't. Snowberger worked at his underling job for two years before he was promoted to Line Cook 2. Around six months after that, he answered an open call for a position in the kitchen of a new hotel - the St. Regis Bal Harbour - where he was hired as Line Cook 1 and met Jordi Valles, the executive chef for the hotel and now the head chef for HPH, a restaurant and development company with more than 25 restaurant and nightlife operations led by Peter Poulakakos and Paul Lamas. Pier A Harbor House is part of the HPH portfolio. At the St. Regis Bal Harbour, Snowberger also met Chef Richard Gras, who Snowberger describes as his "mentor." Gras was chef de cuisine at the St. Regis Bal Harbour, where he supervised Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's J&G Grill. Later, he came to Pier A Harbor House to help set up the kitchen. Meanwhile, at the age of 30, Snowberger had decided to quit his job at the St. Regis and take some time off. "My grandparents were getting older and not in good health," he said. "I hadn't seen my family in around seven years because of my work." He drove from Florida to New York to Chicago to Oklahoma and then to Dallas where Chef Gras then headed a restaurant called Oak. "I worked with him for a week and slept on his couch," says Snowberger. Then it was on to New Mexico and several months with his family. He was staying at his brother's house in New Mexico when Chef Gras called in the late summer of 2014. Said Snowberger, "He said, 'Chris, I'm ready for you.' I said, 'Where am I going?' - 'To New York City,' he said. I said, 'When?'" On Nov. 2, 2014, Snowberger moved to New York to help open the Pier A Harbor House restaurant. If there is some serendipity in that story, there is even more serendipity in the story of how Snowberger won a prestigious grant from the James Beard Foundation to enhance his culinary skills. During his travels, he had visited the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio. CVI is a working farm of around 100 acres where chef and farmer can come together outside the restaurant setting. It includes a 1,500 square foot, state-of-the-art kitchen, a dining room that can seat 90 people, overnight accommodations, a culinary library, root and wine cellars and experimental vegetable, forest and herb gardens.
Snowberger showed up there late one night in the winter of 2014, slept in his car, and knocked on the door the next morning, where he was welcomed. He ended up spending a week there and vowed to come back. The James Beard Foundation awards a Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work Study Grant named after the French chef whose mentorship of other chefs matched his legendary talent - to qualified, professional chefs who are looking for hands-on experience with farmers or artisans. Snowberger spent five months working on his application and was selected. He returned to the Culinary Vegetable Institute in March 2015. By then, he was already working for Pier A Harbor House. "My sabbatical was life-changing for me," Snowberger said. "I want to keep Jean-Louis Palladin's philosophy at the restaurant and also share it with my fellow chefs." In an essay about his CVI experience, Snowberger wrote that he learned how "aggressive [Palladin] was about sourcing ingredients and his tireless efforts to bring haute cuisine to America....He pushed purveyors for properly harvested products and sustainability." At Pier A Harbor House, Snowberger said, "We're slowly moving all our product to regional product. We should know where our food comes from and not just be using mass-produced food." - Terese Loeb Kreuzer The upstairs dining room at Pier A Harbor House is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Sunday brunch. For reservations, call (212) 785-0153. The Long Hall on the first floor of Pier A Harbor House is open from 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily. For more information, click here.
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Bits & Bytes
WORLD TRADE CENTER DINING; 56 WALKER ST. CONDOS; $20M MORE FOR SENIORS IN NEW CITY BUDGET; 60-STORY SEAPORT TOWER
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| Three restaurants have opened on the 101st floor of 1 World Trade Center.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Everything you need to know about dining at One World Trade Center," Eater.com, 6/30/15. "To say that an evening at Windows on the World, located on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower, was just about the food, would be like saying a Mets game was just about the hot dogs," says Eater.com. "Sure, you were there to eat, but you were mostly there to watch, to be in awe." Fourteen years after 9/11, Eater.com continues, "One World Trade has risen near the footprints of the felled Twin Towers. Signs on the inside and outside boast that it's the highest building in the Western Hemisphere, at 1,776 feet. Of course, the record only holds true if you count the spire that stands on top, which is akin to saying that Aunt Ellie is the tallest member of your family because she wears a single Manolo Blahnik on her head like an avant-garde derby hat. No matter; on the 101st floor is a trio of culinary establishments dubbed One Cafe, One Mix, and One Dine, all run by Legends, the folks behind the concessions at Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, and elsewhere. Like Windows on the World, the chief merits of the One venues are the views they afford. Now let me explain why you probably shouldn't eat at any of them." For the complete article, click here. "More Peeks Inside the Huge Condos at Tribeca's 56 Walker," Curbed.com, 6/30/15. "56 "Walker Street has revealed a slew of renderings of its Carlyle Designs-designed interiors, and if you like veined marble, oh boy, is this the condo building for you," says Curbed.com. "They've got veined marble kitchen islands, veined marble sinks, veined marble entire-shower-walls, veined wall fireplace wall-columns/whatever you call those things. If it can be made out of veined marble, 56 Walker will feature it prominently in one of its 3,000-5,000-square-foot three- and four-bedroom condos." For the complete article, with photos, click here. New City budget includes $20M more for seniors: With New York City's senior population growing, City Councilmember Margaret Chin, chair of the Council's Committee on Aging, announced on July 1 that more than $20 million in desperately needed additional funding for seniors would be in the City's budget for Fiscal Year 2016. The money will go to the Department for the Aging (DFTA) to keep senior centers open, to ease waitlists for services for elder New Yorkers, and to provide services in specifically designated neighborhoods that have a high concentration of seniors. There are currently around 1.5 million seniors in New York City, and according to projections by senior advocacy groups, by the year 2030 around one in five New Yorkers will be a senior. "Fortis's 60-Story Seaport Tower Is Actually Happening," Curbed.com, 6/30/15. "It looks like Fortis's sky-high South Street Seaport tower is moving forward after years of planning," says Curbed.com. "Broker Fredrik Eklund, whose Instagram account is a small goldmine of new renderings and things of the like, just took to the social media platform to promote his involvement in 151 Maiden Lane, to be known as One Seaport, all while revealing that the tower will stand a whopping 60 stories tall along the East River. October's round of renderings for the residential tower depicted a helix-shaped building compliments of architects Goldstein, Hill and West, who may still be involved in the project. At the time, the building was expected to top out at 51 stories and hold 74 apartments, but given the added floors, the building's apartment count is literally up in the air." For the complete article, click here. Lower Manhattan tax incentives extended: Legislation providing tax incentives for Lower Manhattan businesses has been extended for two more years. The incentives were originally created by Assemblyman Sheldon Silver under a Marshall Plan for Lower Manhattan after 9/11. Silver is also responsible for the current bill, which was included in an end-of-session omnibus bill (A.8323). The incentives encourage relocation and expansion of new businesses to the area, provide energy cost savings, and maintain state and local tax exemptions, among others. The bill has passed both the Assembly and the Senate and was signed by the Governor. "As we celebrate the opening of Greenwich Street at the World Trade Center, we can see that Lower Manhattan has seen great progress since 9/11, but anyone who walks the neighborhood knows the work is far from finished," Silver said. "With many major infrastructure projects still incomplete, these incentives are vital in building on the progress we have made and will help to see the job through. Hurricane Sandy was a major setback, in what is essentially a waterfront community, and businesses deserve our support to keep foot traffic levels up while the rebuilding continues."
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Downtown bulletin board
WATER STREET GREENMARKET OPENS; WEEKNIGHT KAYAKING STARTS AT DOWNTOWN BOATHOUSE; DISCOUNTED SAILING LESSONS
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| | The Greenmarket on Water Street at Coenties Slip opened on July 2 for the season. It will be open on Thursdays through Nov. 19. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Water Street Greenmarket opens for the season: A Greenmarket on Water Street at Coenties Slip opened for its second season on Thursday, July 2. The farmers at the market include Apple State Hilltop Family Farm with honey from Sullivan County, N.Y.; Bad Seed Cider Co. selling hard cider from Ulster County, N.Y.; Body & Soul with baked goods, some vegan and gluten free, from Kings County, N.Y.; Francesca's II Bakery with breads and baked goods from Middlesex County, N.J.; King Ferry Winery, Treleaven selling wine from Cayuga County, N.Y.; Migliorelli Farm bringing vegetables and orchard fruit from Dutchess County, N.Y.; Millport Dairy selling Cheddar cheese, beef, pickles and baked goods from Lancaster County, Pa.; and Prospect Hill Orchard with apples and orchard fruit, some certified organic, from Ulster County, N.Y. Stop by the manager's tent for free recipes and to taste samples of the weekly cooking demos every Thursday until Nov. 19. WIC and FMNP checks are accepted at individual farmer stands. EBT/food stamps and debit and credit cards are accepted at the market information tent. The market is a partnership between GrowNYC and the Downtown Alliance. Place: Water Street at Coenties Slip, between Hanover and Broad Streets. Time: Thursdays, 8 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Through Nov. 19, 2015. Click here for more information. Downtown Boathouse weeknight kayaking: On Monday, July 6, the Downtown Boathouse will start its weeknight kayaking program. It will be open at Pier 26 in Hudson River Park every evening, Monday to Friday, until Aug. 31 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Downtown Boathouse is run by volunteers and kayaking is free. For more information, click here.
Offshore Sailing School offers discounted sailing lessons on Fridays: The Offshore Sailing School is offering discounted sailing lessons on "Freedom Fridays" at the its outpost at Pier 25 in Tribeca. The sailing lessons from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. cost $125 per person, discounted from the usual price of $225. Sign up by Tuesday of each week to reserve a Freedom Friday sail. After completing six Freedom Friday lessons and attending a complimentary three-hour seminar, participants will be eligible for Colgate Basic Keelboat certification. Freedom Friday lessons are taught aboard the Colgate 26, designed by Offshore Sailing School's founder, and Olympic and America's Cup sailor, Steve Colgate. The school's certified instructors will teach how to trim sails, how to make the boat go using wind-power alone, and how to pick up a mooring. For information, click here. Advance registration is required by calling (212) 786-4888. Reservations will be confirmed on a space-available basis. For more information on course schedules, locations and other sailing programs, click here.
Manhattan Yacht Club launch from Pier 25: The Manhattan Yacht Club's clubhouse, the Honorable William Wall, is anchored for the summer near Ellis Island. A launch service from Pier 25 to the Willy Wall departs from Pier 25 near North Moore Street in Tribeca. Everyone is welcome at the Willy Wall (you don't have to be a member of the Manhattan Yacht Club.) Enjoy the incredible views of the harbor. Watch the sailboat races. Bring a picnic. The launches depart at 5:25 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and then every 30 minutes from Pier 25. Return trips are also every half hour.The William Wall closes at 10 p.m. The first four launches from Pier 25 have reserved tickets. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. If tickets are sold out, visitors can still go standby. By 7 p.m., some guests start to come back and launch rides are available on a first-come basis. For more information about the Honorable William Wall, click here.
River Project Wet Lab Look-ins: The River Project's WetLab at Pier 40 (at Houston and West  Streets), provides an opportunity for the public to meet the underwater animals of New York Harbor. The Wetlab is on the south side of Pier 40 and is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wetlab Look-ins are centered on a 3,000 gallon flow-through system of unfiltered river water. The animals in residence encounter the same temperature, salinity and microorganisms as they would if they were in the river. This estuarium houses a unique and important NY State Heritage Collection of locally caught fishes and invertebrates that represents the biodiversity of the Hudson River Park Estuarine Sanctuary, and it can include hundreds of animals. A special feature is the Living Oyster Reef Ecosystem Exhibit. Wetlab Look-ins are interactive. Visitors are encouraged to get their hands wet in touch tanks and to participate in hands-on activities set up on the south walkway of Pier 40. Special topic Look-ins are hosted by students participating in The River Project's Marine Biology Internship Program. Interns choose a topic of interest, do extra research and create their own hands-on activities for visitors. Topics can vary, as they depend on interest, and can be anything from sediment exploration, to water quality testing, to a specific estuarine species. The River Project's events calendar includes a list of Wetlab Look-ins so that guests can plan their visit around a topic of their interest, or come and be surprised. To see the events calendar, click here.
Get Low Tuesdays: The Downtown Alliance has launched "#GETLOW Tuesdays," a new summer promotional campaign that will provide a 20 percent discount at nearly three dozen Lower Manhattan restaurants. In addition, participants who share the program using social media will be entered to win a four-day, three night trip to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Created by the Downtown Alliance, the program will be driven by social media. Participants can utilize 11 social media platforms to spread the word about the campaign, using the hashtag #GETLOW. Available platforms include: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, Vine, Snapchat, Foursquare, Flickr, Pinterest and Tumblr. Participating restaurants are: 121 Fulton Street; Atrio Wine Bar | Restaurant; Barbalu Restaurant; Bavaria Bierhaus; Beckett's; Blackhound Bar; Church & Dey; Cowgirl SeaHorse; Da Claudio Ristorante & Salumeria; Dina Rata; The Dubliner; Felice 15 Gold Street; Financier Patisserie; Fresh Salt; GRK; Harry's Caf� and Steak; Industry Kitchen; Lonestar Empire; Lumpia Shack; Mad Dog & Beans Mexican Cantina; Merchants River House; Nelson Blue; Pound & Pence; Ramen Burger; Red Hook Lobster Pound; St. George Tavern; Schnitz; Seaport Smorgasburg; Smorgas Chef; SouthwestNY Restaurant; Stone Street Tavern; and Watermark Bar & Lounge. The campaign is also receiving support from the Millennium Hilton and Hilton Amsterdam. To learn more, click here.
Downtown Post Portfolio: 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.
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Letter to the editor
NEW MARKET BUILDING CRUMBLING FROM NEGLECT
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| | The New Market Building in the South Street Seaport as it looked on June 30, 2015. (Photo: Michael Kramer) |
To the editor:
Neglected and unplanned and unmaintained. The New Market Building is crumbling from neglect.
Perhaps a Master Planning process would result in an authentic re-use of the existing building with perhaps a modest addition to serve community needs?
Michael Kramer
South Street Seaport resident and member of Save Our Seaport
From the editor:
Community Board 1 (and others with a stake in the South Street Seaport), have repeatedly asked The Howard Hughes Corporation, which has long-term leases on parts of the Seaport, for a master plan that would reflect all of its development proposals. This plan has not been forthcoming. HHC executives have stated on several occasions that no such plan exists. The New York City Economic Development Corporation, the city's landlord for much of the Seaport, also has not presented a master plan. We welcome letters to the editor. Email them to editor@downtownpostnyc.com. We reserve the right to edit them for clarity and length. |
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The New Market Building as it looked on May 31, 2014. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Weeks of June 29 and July 6
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| | Lunch at Le Pain Quotidien at 2 River Terrace in Battery Park City. The restaurant is applying to CB1's Battery Park City Committee for renewal of its wine and beer license. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
All Community Board 1 meetings take place at 49-51 Chambers St., Room 709, starting at 6 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. Bring photo ID to enter the building. July 3: Office Closed Independence Day (Observed)
July 7: Battery Park City Committee
* Route 9A update by Shilpan Patel, project manager, New York State Department of Transportation
* Street permit activity guidelines process - Discussion
* Helicopter take-off from North Cove Marina - Discussion and possible resolution
* Conversion of West Thames Park lawn surface - Resolution
* Missing child incident - Discussion
* Neighborhood Updates - Discussion
The following notices have been received for renewal, upgrade, or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses or sidewalk cafe permits:
* Pier 25 - application for alteration of liquor license for Manhattan Yacht Club, Inc. to change location for pick-up of passengers from North Cove to Pier 25
* 2 River Terrace, application for a renewal of a wine and beer license for Le Pain Quotidien
* 21 South End Avenue, application for renewal of a liquor license for Miramar
* 3 World Financial Center aka 200 Vesey Street, application for a renewal of liquor license for Compass Group USA, Inc. and Thompson Hospitality Services, LLC
* 2 West Street, application for renewal of restaurant and hotel liquor license for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, d/b/a The Ritz-Carlton Hotel New York, Battery Park
July 8: Tribeca Committee * Temporary Public Plaza on West Broadway between Franklin and Leonard Streets - Presentation by Lynn Ellsworth, Chair, Tribeca Trust * Borough of Manhattan Community College - Update by Scott Anderson, Vice President for Administration and Planning * Proposed CitiRack bike coral at 181 Duane St. - Presentation by NYC Department of Transportation and resolution * 77 Worth St., application for tavern license for RBC Bar Inc. - Resolution * 41 Murray St., application for restaurant liquor license for Rosa Mexicano Murray LLC - Resolution * 221 West Broadway, application for sidewalk cafe for North of Houston LLC d/b/a White Street - Resolution * 385 Greenwich St. aka North Moore Street, application for restaurant liquor license for Aemal LLC d/b/a Belzer - Resolution * Draft Tribeca Committee Liquor License Application Guideline revisions - Resolution * Tribeca Committee meeting procedures - Discussion The following notices have been received for renewal, upgrade, or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses or sidewalk cafe permits: * 325 Church St., application for a renewal of a liquor license for Saluggi's * 361 Greenwich St., application for renewal of restaurant liquor license for Silmor Enterprise Corp. d/b/a Tablao * 241 West Broadway, application for a renewal of a liquor license for Cercle Rouge * 397 Greenwich St., application for a renewal of a wine and beer license for Wichcraft July 9: Landmarks Committee* 17 Leonard St., application for restoration of existing three-story masonry facade and addition of two-story rooftop addition - Resolution * 456 Greenwich St., application to replace a non-contributing garage building with a new six-story hotel building with rooftop features - Resolution * 366 Broadway, application to install ramp and stairs - Resolution * 130 Duane St., application for facade alterations, new steel canopies and light fixtures - Resolution * Follow-up committee discussion on future South Street Seaport plans - Discussion
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CALENDAR: INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS IN LOWER MANHATTAN
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| | Fireworks over the Brooklyn Bridge on July 4, 2014. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Fireworks viewing from Pier 16: The South Street Seaport Museum is opening Pier 16 at Fulton Street for fireworks viewing on July 4. Bring a picnic and BYOB (but no coolers or kegs). There will be food trucks on the pier. The pier will open at 6 p.m. Tickets must be presented for access. Tickets: $40; $20 (museum members). To buy tickets, click here.
Hermione:
 A replica of Hermione, the ship that brought the Marquis de Lafayette to the colonies in March of 1780, where he became an indispensable aid to Gen. George Washington, arrived at the South Street Seaport on July 1. It will be at the South Street Seaport through July 4.
On July 3, the public can visit an exhibit on Pier 15 depicting Lafayette's role in the American Revolution and the Hermione's reconstruction. At the Heritage Village on Pier 15, Revolutionary era reenactors will demonstrate historic shipbuilding crafts and there will be cultural activities including costumed performances by reenactors, concerts of period and contemporary music and a variety of craft exhibitions. Time: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
July 3:
Public tours of the Hermione, hosted by the South Street Seaport Museum at Piers 15 and 16. No reservations required. Free. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
July 3: |
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Flag-raising at Bowling Green.
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Flag-raising ceremony at Bowling Green led by the Lower Manhattan Historical Society. The event will start at Pier 16 with an unfurling of flags carried by Hermione on her transatlantic voyage. A parade led by French and American flags will go from Pier 16 to Bowling Green. It will proceed from Water Street up Wall Street to Broadway and then Bowling Green. At 12 noon, there will be flag-raising ceremonies for the French and American flags. Time: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. "Les Demoiselles de Rochefort," Castle Clinton Plaza, Battery Park.
Screening of "Les Demoiselles de Rochefort" in Battery Park. Sponsored by the Poitou-Charentes Region as part of "The Hermione Film Festival." Les demoiselles de Rochefort (The young girls of Rochefort) directed by Jacques Demy with Catherine Deneuve and Gene Kelly, musical film, 1967, (120 min, remastered digital presentation), presented in partnership with the French Embassy and NYC Parks. Jacques Demy's delightful 1967 musical film is a bouncy trifle focusing on two musically-inclined fraternal twin sisters' (Catherine Deneuve and real-life sister Fran�oise Dorl�ac) search for love and those of various characters (including Gene Kelly) who hover in and around their lives in the small town of Rochefort. For more information, click here or call (212) 830-7754. Free. Time: 8:30 p.m. An evening aboard the Hermione in the South Street Seaport, Pier 15. Join this celebration of the Hermione's arrival in New York and the 250th anniversary of Morris-Jumel Mansion, Washington's headquarters during the Battle of Harlem Heights. A reception will feature food, drinks, Revolutionary War-era music, and lively historic discussion in an unforgettable setting. Tickets: $250. Space is limited. To RSVP, call Morris-Jumel Mansion at (212) 923-8008 or click here to buy tickets. Time: 8 pm.-10 p.m.
July 4:
Parade of Ships: The parade begins south of the Verrazano Bridge, heads north to the Statue of Liberty, up to the Intrepid Museum and back down again. Hermione will be joined by local ships and boats. For more information, click here. Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
New York Historical Society: Revolution: NYC and the War for Independence, Governors Island, House 18 in Nolan Park Time: 11 a.m.
Teen-curated Lafayette/Hermione Exhibit on Governor's Island. Using reproductions of historic documents, artifacts, and works of art, Student Historian Teen Leaders have curated a nuanced installation that sheds light on the lives of both soldier and civilian New Yorkers during the Revolutionary War. Governors Island was utilized by both American patriots and the British during the war. (On display from July 4 to Sept. 27, every Saturday and Sunday. For more information, click here.
El Gale�n:
Through July 12, El Gale�n, a 170-foot wooden replica of a 16th-century sailing ship
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El Gale�n. (Photo: Fundaci�n Nao Victoria)
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that was part of Spain's West Indies fleet, will be moored at Pier 15 in the South Street Seaport. El Gale�n is in the United States to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Juan Ponce de L�on's landing on the east coast of what is now Florida. On July 4 and July 9, 10 and 11, El Gale�n will host "Shipwrecked at the Seaport" parties from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. that include an open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres, a DJ and dancing. (Must be 21 or over to attend.) Tickets: $150. The ship will also be open for tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with part of the proceeds going to benefit the South Street Seaport Museum and the New York Harbor School. Tickets: $15; $45 (family of four); children 5 and under, free. For more information about the "Shipwrecked" parties, click here. For more information about tours, click here.
July 4 fireworks: This year's Fourth of July fireworks display, presented by Macy's, will again take place over the East River. The best places to see the show will be from Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, and along the east side of Lower Manhattan. The light show starts at 9 p.m., but it would be best to arrive early. For more information, click here.
The National Parks of New York Harbor, which helps coordinate 10 National Parks with 22 destinations in New York City and northern New Jersey, is gearing up for July 4 celebrations. All of them are free and open to the public.
Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park: A parade and flag-raising ceremony on July 4 will conclude with a 50-round artillery salute to the Union. The parade begins at 10 a.m. For more information, call (212) 344-7220.
Federal Hall National Memorial: On July 3 and 4, a George Washington re-enactor will interact  with visitors in the rotunda of the memorial at Broad and Nassau Streets, and will give talks about the American Revolution as well as France's role in the war effort. The Declaration of Independence will also be read on the front steps of Federal Hall on July 4 at noon. Old Barracks Fifes and Drums will perform military music from the Revolution. The site's celebration also honors the L'Hermione's docking in New York City. Hermione (see above) is an exact replica of the ship of the same name that brought General Lafayette back to America with news of an official alliance with France and more aid for the American patriots. Federal Hall staff will give special talks about life on 18th-century warships and screen a looping video on Hermione for the public. For more information about activities at Federal Hall, click here or call (212) 825-6990. Music at the South Street Seaport: The Howard Hughes Corporation is placing three sound stages in the South Street Seaport on July 4 - one on Fulton Street, the second on Peck Slip, and the third at the Fulton Stall Market. On the Fulton Street and Peck Slip stages, the music will begin at 1 p.m. and continue through 9:20 p.m. (as an accompaniment to the Macy's fireworks). The Fulton Stall Market stage at 207A Front St. will have music from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. For fireworks viewing, access to the FDR will be available via Dover Street. Limited viewing areas will include Fulton Street and Peck Slip. There will be no public access to South Street, and Piers 15 and 16 will be closed for private events. For more information, click here.
Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island: On July 4, join Gateway National Recreation Area at Fort Wadsworth to enjoy living history and fort tours. Children's activities include art and a scavenger hunt. In the evening, have a picnic, bring a blanket, and stay for the fireworks! Click here
for times and additional information.
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GOVERNORS ISLAND WEEKEND
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| Bicycles can be rented on Governors Island, or bring your own.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Governors Island is just 800 yards away from Manhattan, with historic forts, shady parkland, bicycle riding paths and cultural events. It is open daily through Sept. 27. July 4: It's too late to enter the NYCRUNS Firecracker 5K on Governors Island, but it's not too late to watch. Runners may be accompanied by up to four spectators, but they must register in advance. The cost is $10 per person. Each spectator will receive a number and can accompany the runners on a special 7:30 a.m. ferry to Governors Island. Spectator numbers can only be picked up on July 3 at JackRabbit Sports on Union Square (42 W. 14th St., between Fifth and Sixth Avenues). The ferry leaves from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South St.
There are prizes for this race for the top three male and female runners overall as follows: $100 for 1st Place, $50 for 2nd Place, and $25 for 3rd Place. Age group awards in the 5K will be awarded to the top three in each the following age groups: 9 and under, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70 and over. All Weekend:Indoor Exhibits:"The Gallery at Building 110"- LMCC: Building 110 upper level, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. "What's Happening on Governors Island": Building 110 upper level, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. "M�-Math: The Mobile Unit to Promote Mathematical Thinking": Building 11, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. "Art Kibbutz": Building 6A, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. - (Sundays only) "Laws of Attraction" Sculptors Guild: Building 15, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. "Better Than Jam Handmade Gift Shop": Building 410A, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. "Brooklyn Artery": Building 10B, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. "Billion Oyster Project": Building 20A, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. "The Art of Intuitive Photography" Building 16, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. "The Holocenter's Summer Museum" The Center for Holographic Art: Building 19A, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. "New York Electronic Arts Festival," by Harvestworks. Buildings 5A and 5B, 12 p.m.-5 p.m. "Hidden Beneath Our Feet," artifact exhibit. Admirals House - open daily Activities:Bike and Surrey Rentals: Blazing Saddles - Colonels Row, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free Art Island Outpost: Children's Museum of the Arts. Nolan Park Building 14, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Earth Matter Compost Learning Center, Enter at the Park Oval, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. GrowNYC's Teaching Garden, Enter at the Oval, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Figment: Minigolf, season-long sculpture and treehouse open this weekend, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Imagination Playground - Lawn in front of 403, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. National Park Service Activities:Castle Williams: Courtyard open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Fort Jay: Courtyard Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.- "Explore Castle Williams"- Tours of Castle Williams, including a visit to the roof. Tours leave hourly on the bottom of the hour and last 30 minutes. 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. - "An Island Star!" Every Hour; Tours are 30 minutes. 2:30 p.m. - "Hike through History" - Walking tour of the National Monument and Historic District. Meet at Soissons Landing. Tours last 90 minutes. Food: * Guest Food Vendor at Kings Ave.: Valducci's - pizza, sandwiches and desserts * Both Liggett Terrace and Kings Ave. will be open * SI Caf� at Building 403 will be open this weekend * Beer is available at Little Evas in Liggett Terrace and at the Governors Beach Club * Governors Beach Club will be open Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. with food vendors, bar, and D.J. during the day. Getting there: Ferries run from the Battery Maritime Terminal in Lower Manhattan all seven days and run from Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6 on Saturdays, Sundays, Memorial Day and Labor Day. There is a $2 round trip fare for adults and children over the age of 12. There is no fare on 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. ferries from Manhattan on Saturdays and Sundays. There is also no fare on the 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. ferry from Brooklyn on Saturdays and Sundays. These ferries are free to all. For more information, click here
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CALENDAR: Week of June 29
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| The Moran tug, Turecamo Girls, heading down the Kill van Kull toward the Bayonne Bridge. Ports Newark and Elizabeth are on the far side of the bridge. Working Harbor is offering a two-hour tour of Port Newark on Thursday, July 9.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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July 3: "Sea Wife" at the Melville Gallery (part of the South Street Seaport Museum), is a concert play of nautical adventures presented by Naked Angels and the raucous folk band, The Lobbyists. Part play, part concert, and part environmental experience, SeaWife envelops its audience in a dark tale marked with romance, tragedy and spirits on the high seas. Audiences will be invited to raise a glass of ale as they are transported through an adventure of epic proportions following Percy, a young sailor bred within the golden age of the American whaling industry, as he journeys through port cities and sea vessels in search of a greater glory than killing leviathan. Naked Angels is a theater company committed to developing and producing new work by artists who explore unique perspectives and non-traditional theatrical formats . No performance on July 4, but otherwise, through July 19. Place: 213 Water St. Time: 7 p.m. Tickets: $20 to $40. For more information or to buy tickets, click here.
Buy tickets now: On July 9, Working Harbor presents a Hidden Harbor Tour� of Port Newark. Get an insider's view of the third largest port in the nation, where container ships dock and unload their goods from around the world. The tour will show the port's giant container terminals, oil docks and dry dock repair, and the tugs that service the port. Place: Depart from Pier 11 (between Wall Street and Gouveneur Lane). Time: Boarding begins at 5:30 p.m. Tour, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets: Tickets: $30; $25 (seniors). For group sale rates, email workingharbor@aol.com. To buy tickets, click here. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The annual Poets House showcase of all the poetry books and poetry-related texts published in the United States in the previous year is on display through Aug. 8, 2015. The publications come from over 650 commercial, university and independent presses. During the course of the exhibit, some poets will read from their work. Next reading: July 9. Timothy Liu (Don't Go Back to Sleep, Saturnalia Books), Sara Jane Stoner (Experience in the Medium of Destruction, Portable Press @ Yo-Yo Labs), Yolanda Wisher (Monk Eats An Afro, Hanging Loose Press), and Magdalena Zurawski (Companion Animal, Litmus Press). Place: 10 River Terrace. Readings begin at 7 p.m. Showcase is open during regular Poets House hours, Tuesdays to Saturdays. (Closed July 3 and July 4.) Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: Celebrate summer with a sail aboard the South Street Seaport Museum's historic schooner, Pioneer, and get a new perspective on New York City. Bring a picnic lunch or dinner, snack, beverage or dessert. Pioneer was built in 1885 as an iron-hulled sloop to carry cargo along the Delaware River and is the oldest ship regularly sailing in New York Harbor. For more information or to buy tickets, stop by the museum's Visitor Service Center at 12 Fulton St. or ask the Museum's Associates on Pier 16. Afternoon Sails: Tuesday-Friday 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets: $38; $28 (museum members); $32 (students and seniors); $20 (children 2 to 11 years old); $5 (children uner 2 years old). Sunset Sails: Tuesday-Sunday 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets: $45; $35 (museum members); $25 (children 2 to 11 years old); $10 (children under 2 years old). For more information or to buy tickets, click here. Ongoing: Governors Island is open daily through Labor Day. For a calendar of events, click here.
Ongoing: The historic lighthouse tender, Lilac, berthed at Pier 25 near North Moore Street in Hudson River Park, is hosting a three-month exhibition of artwork through Aug. 15. It focuses on three themes inspired by the ship's story - "Steam," "Work + Labor" and "Restoration/Reinvention." The exhibition features the work of more than 25 artists, with several site-specific installations. Performances, artist talks, film screenings, readings, community activities and educational events accompany the exhibition. For more information about the Lilac, click here. For a video about the Lilac, click here. For more about the art series, 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.
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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
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