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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 2, No. 58 Aug. 4, 2015
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Quote of the day:
""There's been a discussion about other buildings and about a future project. I have no future project. I have no future building. I mentioned that earlier. At some future time, we'll talk about it."
- Christopher Curry, senior executive vice president of The Howard Hughes Corp., telling Community Board 1 that an access road that HHC would like to build on the north side of Pier 17 was just that - an access road for Pier 17 and not for a building that HHC might construct where the New Market Building now stands.
* Howard Hughes Corp. bringing its Seaport proposals to the Landmarks Preservation Commission * Bits & Bytes: Hopping office market south of Chambers Street; Historic Seaport rental
* Downtown Bulletin Board: South Street Seaport Museum benefit concert canceled
* Community Board 1 meeting: August
* Calendar: Weeks of July 26 and August 3
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here.
HOWARD HUGHES AT THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION: The Howard Hughes Corporation, which has long-term leases on parts of the Seaport, is scheduled to make a presentation about its proposals to the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Aug. 4. Place: The Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, 9th floor. The public may attend. Arrive no later than 2:30 p.m. to give time to get through security. A photo ID is required. 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: Water Street in the South Street Seaport with a hand-carved sign for the Maritime Crafts Center, a part of the South Street Seaport Museum. April 18, 2013.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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HOWARD HUGHES CORP. BRINGING ITS SEAPORT LANDMARKS PROPOSALS TO LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION ON 8/4
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| Christopher Curry, senior executive vice president of The Howard Hughes Corp., addressing Community Board 1's full board meeting on July 28.
(Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The long fight over the future of the South Street Seaport reaches a milestone on Aug. 4 when The Howard Hughes Corporation, leaseholder for much of the Seaport, brings its proposals for the landmarked parts of the Seaport before New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission. The hearing is scheduled to take place in the Municipal Building, 1 Centre St., 9th floor, starting at 3:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend and to make comments of three minutes or less. Those wishing to attend should get to the Municipal Building by 2:30 p.m. in order to go through security. Photo ID is required. The Howard Hughes proposals affect Pier 17 with no direct mention of a proposed mixed-use apartment tower on the current site of the New Market Building. Though that site is within state and federal landmark districts, it is not within the city's South Street Seaport Historic District, and therefore outside of LPC's purview. Community Board 1 has repeatedly asked the Landmarks Preservation Commission to extend the New York City South Street Seaport Historic District to make it contiguous with the federal and state historic districts but thus far, that request has been ignored. HHC wants to remove the head house on Pier 17, demolish the Link Building, erect a canopy and mechanical screen on the Pier 17 roof and reconfigure an access drive on the north side of the pier. |
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Members of Community Board 1's Landmarks Committee listening to Chris Curry, senior executive vice president of The Howard Hughes Corporation, make a presentation about proposed changes to Pier 17 at CB1's full board meeting on July 28, 2015. From left to right, Bruce Ehrmann, co-chair; Roger Byrom, chair; and Susan Cole, a committee member.
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Community Board 1 has drafted resolutions commenting on these proposals. CB1 is opposed to the roof canopy and the reconfigured access drive but approves the demolition of the head house and the Link Building. "This is a very complicated application," said Roger Byrom, chair of CB1's Landmarks Committee, at the Community Board's full board meeting on July 28. Some of the issues affecting planning, zoning and community use of Pier 17 and other parts of the Seaport will not be considered by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which will only look at the aesthetics and historic appropriateness of the proposals.
Community Board 1 has repeatedly criticized The Howard Hughes Corporation for segmenting its proposals, making it difficult or impossible to get a full picture of how the parts will affect each other.
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A rendering of Pier 17 without a canopy covering the roof.
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A proposed canopy over the Pier 17 roof is a case in point. When HHC first proposed it around seven months ago, Community Board 1 members went along with the idea,
"but as we discovered it developing, we had more and more challenges with it," said Byrom. Howard Hughes now states that it sees the Pier 17 roof as a world-class party venue that could accommodate up to 4,000 people.
The canopy would keep the rain and snow off their heads and make the roof usable even more days of the year than it would be otherwise. That, said Byrom, "would have a large impact on us" with concerns about noise and crowd control.
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A rendering from The Howard Hughes Corp. of Pier 17 as "a world-class destination for events, concerts and promotions."
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"By making the roof more functional, by putting a canopy on it, it's more likely to be used for a private event. The community will realistically and practically have less use of that space," he said.
Community access to the roof has been a major issue. In the HHC renderings, a portion of the roof - around 10,000 square feet - is designated for public access, but the majority of the roof could be used for private events and would be closed to the public when these were going on.
Bruce Ehrmann, co-chair of CB1's Landmarks Committee, said at the full board meeting that it initially was not clear to him that the massive space in the center of the roof was not generally available to the public and that the part that was available to the public at large, "which certainly is an amenity," he said, "was a piece pushed against the FDR Drive in the butt end of the roof." He concurred that the proposed canopy would not do the community any good.
CB1's recommendations go to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for its consideration as it make a determination. Christopher Curry, senior executive vice president of The Howard Hughes Corporation, spoke at Community Board 1's full board meeting. He touted the benefits of the canopy ("It rains or snows in New York City more than 40 percent of the year," he said) and of an access road that HHC wants to build on the north side of Pier 17. There's one there now, said Curry, and HHC would just straighten it out so it would align with an intersection. "It will be much safer," he said. He didn't want to discuss the fact that this road would provide access to an apartment tower that HHC might build where the New Market Building now stands. " There's been a discussion about other buildings and about a future project," he said. "I have no future project. I have no future building. I mentioned that earlier. At some future time, we'll talk about it. But right now, it's just an access drive to Pier 17."
Byrom wasn't buying that. "Some of us are concerned about making this an easier vehicular access without any studies," he said. "It will become a vehicular access for a potential significantly reduced building outside the historic district." He said that the Community Board didn't want to approve anything like that without seeing a master plan showing "this development [that] might be just around the corner from this hardscape."
He called the HHC proposal for an access road "a bit disingenuous."
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Bits & Bytes
HOPPING OFFICE MARKET SOUTH OF CHAMBERS ST.; HISTORIC SEAPORT RENTAL; RAJKUMAR RUNNING UNOPPOSED FOR DISTRICT LEADER
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| Jenifer Rajkumar at a rally in April that she organized on behalf of Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy. Rajkumar is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for district leader, Assembly District 65, Part C. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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"South of Chambers Street not a dead market after all," New York Post, 8/3/15. "The supposedly stalled office market south of Chambers Street quietly racked up over 300,000 square feet in new leases over the past few weeks, laughing off second-quarter data that appeared to show a slump," says the New York Post. "In the largest deal, KCG Holdings has signed for 169,000 square feet at Brookfield's 300 Vesey St., the former NYMEX building. Asking rents in the 566,000 square-foot tower are in the $70s per square foot, brokerage sources said." For the complete article, click here.
"Seaport Rental Comes With Gigantic Piece of Old Machinery," Curbed.com, 8/3/15. "The charms of living in converted factory space are often limited to the architectural: barrel-vaulted ceilings or concrete floors," Curbed.com observes. "Rarely do apartments come along that actually still contain machinery from the building's factory days. But this South Street Seaport rental is still home to a rather interesting piece of metal that betrays the building's former use as a flour warehouse." The apartment at 40 Dover St. is going for $7,500 a month. For the complete article, with photos, click here.
Jenifer Rajkumar running unopposed for District Leader: Community Board 3 Chairperson Gigi Li, who had been running for district leader in the 65th Assembly District, Part C, against incumbent Jenifer Rajkumar, has withdrawn from the race. Allegedly Li's nomination ballots contained some forged signatures. After a hearing on July 29, the Board of Elections removed Li's name from the ballot and she stepped down. Rajkumar has issued a statement that says, "It is my great honor and privilege to be re-elected as your District Leader. I will continue to serve our neighborhoods with dedication, energy, and passion. I would like to thank my supporters from across Lower Manhattan and all of New York City for the movement we built together." She was supported by Congressman Jerry Nadler, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, NYC Public Advocate Letitia James, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Manhattan County Leader Assemblyman Keith Wright, who she also thanked. For more information about Rajkumar, click here.
Voting for district leaders occurs during the primary election, which this year is on Sept. 10.
"Disabled seniors 'put aside' after Archdiocese ends mass at Manhattan apartment building," Daily News, 8/2/15. "The Catholic mass celebrated every Sunday inside the Southbridge Towers in lower Manhattan was small and informal - but it was like a godsend to the Perrone sisters," says an article in the Daily News. "The service was started nearby 25 years ago to accommodate disabled seniors like Helen and Mollie Perrone, who could no longer make it to church." The mass at 90 Beekman St. has been discontinued, "a casualty of the Archdiocese of New York's sweeping church reorganization." For the complete article, click here. City Councilmember Chin supports Planned Parenthood: City Councilmember Margaret Chin, who represents District 1, has made a video expressing her support for Planned Parenthood. Chin, herself an immigrant, says in the video that Planned Parenthood is an important resource for the city's immigrants. "Many women, especially from immigrant and lower income families, rely on these critical services that anti-abortion extremists are trying to take away," she says in the video. To see the video, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board
SOUTH ST. SEAPORT MUSEUM BENEFIT CONCERT CANCELED; CHAMBERS ST. M20 BUS ROUTE RESTORED; AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN DISTRICT 1
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| Capt. Jonathan Boulware, executive director of the South Street Seaport Museum, speaking at Community Board 1's full board meeting on July 28.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Dock Rocks canceled: Dock Rocks, a "Party on the Piers," has been canceled. It was to have been held on Tuesday, Aug. 4, as the first major downtown benefit concert and VIP Boat Party in support of the South Street Seaport Museum with Grammy award- winning artists Duran Duran, Wyclef Jean, and special guests. The cancellation was attributed to "unforeseen logistical problems at the site." All tickets to Dock Rocks will be refunded at point of purchase. At Community Board 1's full board meeting on July 28, Capt. Jonathan Boulware, executive director of the South Street Seaport Museum, had described the upcoming concert as "a turning point for the museum." He could not be reached for comment on the cancellation, but said in a statement that "Our plan is to host an alternative fundraiser in the fall, that will include many of the same performances, as well as an opportunity to enjoy everything that the Seaport has to offer, while supporting the Museum that was so badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy. We thank our sponsors and partners within the city for their help in planning." M20 Bus route on Chambers Street: With the completion of the Chambers Street reconstruction project, beginning on Sunday, Aug. 2, the eastbound M20 bus route returns to Chambers Street. Reconstruction of Chambers Street started in the summer of 2010 with a budget of $24.4 million. The work was supposed to have been finished by the summer of 2013 but was delayed because of damage caused by Superstorm Sandy and unexpected gas line repairs, among other issues. Affordable housing in District 1: The Related Company will soon be marketing 22 affordable housing units at 456 Washington St. There will be five studio apartments, six one-bedroom apartments and 11 two-bedroom apartments, all designed to be affordable to households at 60 percent of the area median income. Current residents of the area represented by Community Board 1 will get preference for half of the units. An additional 5 percent of the apartments will be set aside for municipal employees. Five percent will go to applicants with mobility impairments and 2 percent will be for applicants with visual or hearing impairments. The program will be advertised as Bridge Land West LLC, with marketing slated to begin at the beginning of August. Applicants will be able to apply online at www.nyc.gov/housingconnect.
Get Low Tuesdays: The Downtown Alliance's "#GETLOW Tuesdays" continues through Sept. 1. The summer promotional campaign provides 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 is 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.
Independence Day in Lower Manhattan photo gallery: The Independence Day celebration in  Lower Manhattan started on July 1 with the arrival of the Hermione at Pier 15 in the South Street Seaport. Hermione is a replica of the 18th-century frigate that brought the Marquis de Lafayette to the U.S. colonies in March/April of 1780. Also at Pier 15, El Gale�n, hosted parties and tours. It is a replica of a 16th-century Spanish ship such as Ponce de L�on would have sailed when he landed on the east coast of Florida 500 years ago. On July 4, there were fireworks over the East River. For photos of some of the Independence Day celebrations, click here.
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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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETING: August
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| | Community Board 1's offices have moved to the Municipal Building at 1 Centre St. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
As of Monday, Aug. 3, Manhattan Community Board 1 will be located at 1 Centre St., Room 2202 North. The phone number is (212) 669-7970. The fax number is (212) 669-7899. The website is http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb1/html/home/home.shtml Email: Man01@cb.nyc.gov Community Board 1 does not meet during August except in the case of an emergency. The one exception is a meeting of the Landmarks Committee scheduled for Aug. 13. Aug. 13: Landmarks Committee - 6 p.m. Location: Community Board 1 - Conference Room, 1 Centre Street, Room 2201 North * 27 North Moore St., application for pergola and screen design - Resolution * 287 Broadway, application for fa�ade restoration and window and storefront replacement - Resolution
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CALENDAR: Week of Aug. 3
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| | Caddell Dry Dock on Staten Island, where many of New York harbor's ships are expertly repaired. Buy tickets now for a Hidden Harbor tour on Aug. 13 that goes from Wall Street to Port Newark, showing the commercial side of New York harbor, including its container ships, tugboats and dry docks. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Aug. 4: The third in a four-part workshop on "Poetry and Meditation: A Resonant Relationship" takes place at Poets House. The workshop series began with basic instruction and exercises in meditation, and now is examining whether certain types of poetry can bring about similar experiences. Topics include how meditation and poetry can spring from daily-life experiences, yet transcend them; poetry as mantra; prayer as poetry and mantra, and the differences between meditation and prayer. The presenter, Nayana Tara Hein, has studied meditation with Sri Chinmoy since 1972 and is an organizer of the Sri Chinmoy Poetry Festival. Registration is required - space is limited. Text or call (347) 773-8369 to register. The fourth workshop will take place on Aug. 11. Place: 10 River Terrace. Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Free. Click here for more information. Aug. 6: A panel discussion called "The Politics of Preservation" at the Museum of the City of New York will explore the political forces that affect the implementation of the New York City Landmarks Law, ranging from property owners and developers to a wide range of advocacy groups and also including architects, media outlets, and government agencies. This program delves into the themes of the City Museum's exhibition "Saving Place: 50 Years of New York City Landmarks," on view through April 21, 2016. The panel includes Morris Adjmi, FAIA, Founder and Principal of Morris Adjmi Architects; Peg Breen, President, The New York Landmarks Conservancy; and Kenneth K. Fisher, Member, Cozen O'Connor. Robert Tierney, former chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, will serve as moderator. Place: 1220 Fifth Ave. (at 103rd Street). Time: 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $16; $12 (students and seniors); free for Museum members. For more information, click here. Aug. 9: Captain Mary's Story Hour aboard USCGC Lilac, a historic lighthouse tender docked at Pier 25 in Hudson River Park, launches with a reading of Maira Kalman's book "Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey." Join one of two free trips on board the fireboat, John J. Harvey, the hero of the book, either before the reading or afterward. Reservations are required for the boat rides since space is limited. Readings are at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Doors will open at 11 a.m. No registration required for the reading. The 10:30 a.m. boat trip departs Pier 66, North River (West 26th Street in Hudson River Park) and travels one way to Lilac. The book will be read on Lilac after arrival. Make your own way home after touring Lilac. Reservations for the 10:30 ride can be made by clicking here. The 12 p.m. trip on John J. Harvey leaves Lilac at noon after the reading at 11:30 a.m. for a one-hour trip, returning to Lilac. Reservations for the noon ride can be made by clicking here. Double bookings are not allowed. A $10 per person fee is needed to hold the reservation and refunded in cash when you board. No-shows do not receive a refund.
Ongoing through Aug. 9: In its 16th season, New York Classical Theatre is performing Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" in The Battery. All performances meet in front of Castle Clinton. Time: Tuesday to Sunday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free. No tickets required. For more information, click here.
Ongoing through Aug. 8: 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. Place: 10 River Terrace. Showcase is open during regular Poets House hours, Tuesdays to Saturdays. 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. Lobby access: Fridays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For private tours of Schermerhorn Row and its old hotels, email info@seany.org.
Buy tickets now: A Hidden Harbor Tour� of the bustling Port of New York and New Jersey starts at Wall Street and heads to Port Newark and back. The two-hour tour with expert narrators presents 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 takes in giant container terminals, oil docks, dry docks where ships are repaired, the Robbins Reef Lighthouse, tug boat yards and the Bayonne Bridge. Place: Pier 11 Wall Street (on South Street between Wall Street and Gouveneur Lane). Time: Boarding begins at 5:30 p.m. Boat leaves at 6 p.m. Tickets: $30; $25 (seniors). For group sale rates, email workingharbor@aol.com. For more information about tickets and additional tours, click here. To buy tickets, click here.
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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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