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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 2, No. 62 Aug. 21, 2015
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Quote of the day:
"We write to express concern and seek clarification regarding the ongoing process of programming cultural and other activities throughout the South Street Seaport specifically in its public spaces, and the impact that this could have on the future of the South Street Seaport Museum."
- From a letter to Alicia Glen, deputy mayor, signed by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilmember Margaret Chin questioning The Howard Hughes Corporation's activities in the South Street Seaport and seeking to curtail them.
* Judge tosses Southbridge Towers anti-privatization suit
* Howard Hughes Corp.'s Seaport programming draws protest from Brewer and Chin
* SeaGlass Carousel in The Battery opens after 10 years of work and a setback named 'Sandy' * Bits & Bytes: Fulton Transit Center retail; Tribeca condo lawsuit
* Downtown Bulletin Board: Open House New York seeks volunteers; Tribeca Meet & Greet
* Calendar: Week of August 17
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here. 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: Riding the SeaGlass Carousel in the Battery. Aug. 19, 2015.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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JUDGE TOSSES SOUTHBRIDGE TOWERS ANTI-PRIVATIZATION SUIT
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| | Southbridge Towers. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
It has been a long, hot summer for owners of apartments at Southbridge Towers, the subsidized, middle-income, Mitchell-Lama co-op on the northern border of the South Street Seaport. Both those who hoped that the co-op would exit the Mitchell-Lama program, enabling shareholders to sell their apartments at market rates, and those who opposed this move, waited anxiously for a verdict from Justice Joan Lobis of the Supreme Court of the State of New York as to whether a vote to privatize was valid.
The vote was conducted between Sept. 28 and Sept. 30, 2014. Two-thirds of the eligible shareholders had to agree to privatization for it to pass. Apparently, by a margin of 10 votes out of 1,458 cast, Southbridge Towers shareholders voted to privatize. But some shareholders said that the voting procedures were flawed. Two groups, the SBT Cooperators for Mitchell-Lama and the SBT Shareholders Association, sued the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) and Southbridge Towers, Inc., to annul the vote. The suit ended up in Justice Lobis' courtroom. Finally, on Aug. 11, 2015, she announced her verdict.
The petitioners' suit to block privatization was denied.
In a 17-page document, Justice Lobis explained her reasoning. Essentially, she said that the Southbridge Towers board of directors had followed all applicable procedures in arranging the vote and that the Honest Ballot Association (HBA), which administered the vote, had been careful to make sure that every vote cast was legitimate.
The Division of Housing and Community Renewal, said Lobis, did not simply take HBA's word that all was in order, but "requested specific information about how the vote was conducted. In response to DHCR's request, HBA noted that it strictly followed the procedures set forth in the offering plan and that these same procedures were used in the May 2013 and May 2014 elections of directors. HBA also noted that the procedures it followed in all of the votes had been subject to DHCR's review and approval."
With a vote that was so close and with so much at stake, the petitioners based their suit on an allegation that at least some of the 44 apartments that were prohibited from voting were improperly disqualified. Had some of these shareholders been allowed to vote, the outcome might have been different.
"Petitioners take the position that all shareholders of record should have been included in the vote and that the decision to disqualify most of the 44 units was arbitrary and without statutory and regulatory authority," said Justice Lobis in her decision. "In addition, Petitioners contend that DHCR's approval of the voting procedures and result was unfounded because it made no independent effort to review and verify actual voting records or ballots, proxies, voting machine records and tally sheets."
Justice Lobis looked at each reason for disqualification and concluded that all of them were "rational" and legitimate.
"The standard of review in this Article 78 proceeding 'is whether DHCR acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner, in violation of lawful procedures, or in excess of its jurisdiction," she wrote. She also noted, citing case law, that "Where there is a rational basis to support the decision, a court may not substitute its judgment for that of the agency."
In a memorandum to Southbridge Towers shareholders dated Aug. 13, 2015, Wallace Dimson, president of the SBT Board of Directors, said, "Now that the court has dismissed the litigation, SBT is hopeful that the Attorney General will accept the Effectiveness Amendment without further delay and that the reconstitution process will be completed shortly."
The petitioners have 30 days to appeal Justice Lobis' decision and are consulting their attorney.
Should Southbridge Towers leave the Mitchell-Lama program, as now seems probable, it will mean that its 1,651 apartments will go to market rates and will no longer be in the city's pool of housing available to people of low or modest incomes. The apartments are expected to sell for half a million dollars and up on the open market.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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HOWARD HUGHES CORP.'S SEAPORT PROGRAMMING DRAWS PROTESTS FROM MANHATTAN BORO PREZ BREWER AND COUNCILMEMBER CHIN
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| | Smorgasburg food kiosks and picnic tables set up by The Howard Hughes Corporation on Fulton Street in the South Street Seaport. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and New York City Councilmember Margaret Chin have been observing what's going on in the South Street Seaport and they don't like it. On Aug. 19, they wrote a letter to Alicia Glen, the city's deputy mayor for Housing and Urban Development, to protest The Howard Hughes Corporation's appropriation of public space in the Seaport and its exclusion of the South Street Seaport Museum from what it has been branding as the Seaport's "Culture District."
"We write to express concern and seek clarification regarding the ongoing process of programming cultural and other activities throughout the South Street Seaport specifically in its public spaces, and the impact that this could have on the future of the South Street Seaport Museum," they say in their letter.
"While we agree with the need to enliven the Seaport, this is an effort that should be undertaken by the community, local businesses and the museum; we would like to see a process that incorporates broader input beyond what has currently been the case. Specifically, we would like to understand how the Brooklyn Bridge Southeast Urban Renewal Plan (URP), which is in effect until 2068, affects what is permissible in terms of programming in that space."
Brewer and Chin point to specific clauses in the URP that state that open air cafes, canopies and mobile vending units such as The Howard Hughes Corporation has installed on Fulton Street are excluded because they would compete with local businesses and obstruct pedestrian traffic.
"To our knowledge, the permissible areas and activities do not extend to the entirety of Fulton and Front streets, only to portions immediately adjacent to some of the commercial properties, but we are aware of programming by Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC) in many of the public spaces in the Seaport that seems to conflict with certain provisions in the URP," they write.
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The Howard Hughes picnic tables on Fulton Street.
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"We have observed, for example, essentially all of designated pedestrian way of Fulton Street between Front and South Streets and the public space on Front Street between Beekman Street and Fulton Street taken up by Smorgasburg, a food operation brought in by HHC that appears to compete with many of the food establishments nearby. We are unaware of the existence of any approval that has modified these provisions of the URP."
Brewer and Chin ask Glen to clarify what is allowed and not allowed under the URP and to state "what the city regards as an appropriate framework for coordination of programming that significantly incorporates the input of a broader spectrum of local stakeholders."
To date, The Howard Hughes Corporation has been announcing and implementing programming
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Food trucks on Fulton Street last summer.
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as though it, and only it, were in charge of the area. Last summer, for instance, it installed food trucks in the Seaport that were repeatedly decried by Community Board 1 and by local residents as impeding foot traffic on Fulton Street, blocking sight lines to the South Street Seaport Museum's shops and ships, emitting noxious fumes and competing with local restaurants.
HHC responded to the criticism by moving some of the food trucks, but they remained in the Seaport until the end of the summer season.
HHC has also programmed music events into the Seaport that have disrupted the historic ambiance of the area and created noise that bothered local residents.
A more recent infringement is HHC's newly announced "Culture District," which Brewer and Chin, in their letter to Glen, mention with disapproval and alarm.
"While we appreciate HHC's effort to enliven empty stores and understand the need to
maintain and enhance vitality in the Seaport District, we are concerned by the absence of the
Seaport Museum and other local entities in this endeavor and in the programming of the public
spaces in general," they write.
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Cannon's Walk, a public space in the South Street Seaport that the The Howard Hughes Corp. plans to use for one of its "Culture District" events.
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"As an example please note that one of their Culture District events is scheduled to occur on Cannon's Walk, a public space off of Front Street. This space was the subject of an exchange in October - November 2014 between the Manhattan Borough President Office and EDC over the very same concern -- the privatization of this public space. While obviously with proper permits events can be held in public spaces, we would like to see public space usage that incorporates local businesses and the major cultural anchor of the area, the South Street Seaport Museum."
"We've created a new culture constellation," The Howard Hughes promotional material brags, with no mention of the South Street Seaport Museum. The Guggenheim, the Center for Architecture, Eyebeam, ArtStart, AIGA/NY, Harper Collins Publishers, and No Longer Empty are the "renowned cultural institutions" favored by Howard Hughes.
"The South Street Seaport Museum is supposed to serve as the cultural anchor of the
South Street Seaport," say Brewer and Chin.
They note that the South Street Seaport Museum has been hamstrung by the terms of its lease from becoming the robust and financially viable institution that was envisioned when the museum was created.
"The current Seaport Museum lease was negotiated thirty years ago and was formulated in the
context of a complementary market lease that entailed financial obligations toward the museum
by the Rouse Corporation, HHC's predecessor," Brewer and Chin say. "However, since then, the market lease was renegotiated in a manner that excluded financial support for the museum, while the Seaport Museum lease has retained its original restrictions. This therefore places the museum in an unfair and impossible financial situation: it is limited by its city lease from competing with Howard Hughes Corporation and other local entities when it comes to retail activity for purposes other than those directly related to the functions of the museum, but still can face competition in the cultural programming arena by independent efforts to organize cultural activities without
museum input or meaningful collaboration."
Chin and Brewer ask for a meeting with Glen "as soon as possible to discuss the programming of public space in the South Street Seaport area as well as how we can assist the museum in achieving and maintaining its given role as the cultural anchor of the area, specifically given the terms of the
Seaport Museum lease and how those, if a hindrance, should change."
Brewer and Chin copied other public officials on their letter including U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, New York State Senator Daniel Squadron, New York State Assembly Member Sheldon Silver, Maria Torres-Springer, president of the Economic Development Corporation, Carl Weisbrod, chair of the NYC Planning Commission and Tom Finkelpearl, commissioner of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Representing the local community, Catherine McVay Hughes, chair of Community Board 1, was also cc:d.
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SEAGLASS CAROUSEL IN THE BATTERY OPENS AFTER 10 YEARS OF
FUND RAISING, DESIGN, PRODUCTION AND A SETBACK NAMED 'SANDY'
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| | Riding the fish on the SeaGlass Carousel. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
For Warrie Price, president of The Battery Conservancy, Aug. 19 was a day of triumph. After more
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Warrie Price in front of the SeaGlass Carousel.
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than 10 years of fundraising, design, production and a setback named "Sandy," the SeaGlass Carousel in The Battery was about to open. Price called it a "historic moment." The SeaGlass Carousel in the 25-acre park at the southern end of Manhattan is like no other in the world and that's the way Price likes it. Nothing ordinary would do. Its design references the New York Aquarium that once occupied Castle Clinton, the landmarked fort in the park, not far from where the carousel now stands. Working with the city, state, and federal governments and with members of the private sector, Price created the Battery Conservancy 21 years ago to help rebuild the Battery and Castle Clinton National Monument, which were run down and not in Price's view, commensurate with their historic importance. The opening of SeaGlass is a milestone in that journey of rehabilitation. Price expects that the carousel will draw visitors from all over New York City and all over the world. "This will be good for lower Manhattan!" she said exuberantly. The carousel building mimics the spiral shape of a chambered nautilus shell. Inside are 30 giant, luminescent fish that glow and sparkle. They are mounted on four separate turntables, enabling them to undulate as though they were swimming in an unseen current. Eighteen of the fish move vertically as well as horizontally. Riders climb aboard a fish, strap themselves in and then are immersed in a sound/light show that suggests a tropical sea. At first, the fish grow dark as they would during a descent into the sea. Then the lights brighten and the fish swirl in changing rainbow hues, as they would swirl around a snorkeler or diver in tropical water. Images of water eddy over the carousel's ceiling. This peaceful, underwater world is accompanied by classical music. Then the lights begin to brighten as they do toward the surface of clear, tropical water and soon the trip is over. Too soon. The voyage takes three and a half minutes. Price called it "magic," and it is. The carousel that emerged after more than a decade of work had its genesis in a brief conversation.
Price was talking to Claire Weisz, a partner in WXY, an architecture and urban design firm, and said that the lower part of The Battery was kind of dark. "What about a merry go-round?" said Weisz. "Downtown never had one." "That remark took 15 seconds," said Price. "It's now 10 years later." The carousel cost $16 million. Half of the money came from the government and half was raised privately. Donors stepped up to sponsor the fish at a cost of $100,000 each. Nine of the fish are still unsponsored, and Price is continuing to fund raise. The dramatic fish, some of them more than 13 feet tall, were designed by the George Tsypin
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George Tsypin, who designed the fish.
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Opera Factory. Tsypin's designs have appeared on the stages of the world's leading opera companies, and on Broadway. He was the artistic director and production designer for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014. "A traditional carousel is brilliant in its simplicity," Tsypin said, "but we have new technology." He said that the SeaGlass Carousel is "not a static object. There will be new music and new lights. You can program the movements in different ways." He called the carousel "a living organism." The fish were fabricated at Show Canada in Montreal, whose handiwork can also be seen in Cirque du Soleil's fantastical productions. Each fish is outfitted with four speakers through which classical music is piped. The sound tracks were devised by SiriusXM composer Teddy Zambetti, each with an accompanying - and different - light show created by Kyle Chepulis of Technical Artistry. |
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The Tiffany & Co. Foundation woodland gardens surround the carousel.
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The carousel is surrounded by woodland gardens that were designed by the master Dutch landscape architect, Piet Oudolf, and funded by a $1 million grant from the Tiffany & Co. Foundation. Oudolf uses plants that will flourish in a harsh marine environment and that will look interesting at any time of the year. The Tiffany gardens are planted with 9,000 perennials and 78,000 bulbs that promise to provide their own magic come springtime The carousel will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through the end of December. It will be closed in January and February. Each ride costs $5. On the first day that the carousel was open to the public, it would have taken at least an hour in line to get a chance to ride. At the moment, no reservations are available, but that might change. "The carousel is evolving," said Price. - Terese Loeb Kreuzer |
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The SeaGlass Carousel at night.
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Bits & Bytes
SOUP NAZI MOVING HQ TO BROAD ST.; INTERIOR PHOTOS OF 12 WARREN ST.; FULTON TRANSIT CENTER RETAIL; TRIBECA LAWSUIT
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| Battery Park City resident Dennis Gault is running for the position of male Democratic District Leader in the 66th AD, Part B. The primary election is on Sept. 10.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Brand behind the 'Soup Nazi' expands menu, plans HQ move to Manhattan," Crain's New York Business, 8/19/15. "Customers may soon be hearing 'No soup for you ... but how about a sandwich?' at the Original Soupman, the New York food brand made famous by Seinfeld," says Crain's New York Business. "Under the direction of a new chief executive, the company, operated by Soupman Inc., is planning to diversify its menu to include sandwiches and organic options, expand its supermarket account business and move its headquarters to Manhattan. The Soupman is negotiating a lease at 85 Broad St. It hopes to move out of its South Avenue office in Staten Island by the end of the year." For the complete article, click here. "Man Charged in Statue of Liberty Bombing Hoax," New York Times, 8/19/15. "A man who identified himself as a 1993 World Trade Center bombing conspirator and threatened to blow up the Statue of Liberty in April has been arrested," The New York Times reports. "According to a court complaint, the man, Jason Paul Smith, said in a 911 call that he was Abdul Yasin, the only conspirator not captured in the 1993 bombing. Mr. Smith was arrested in Lubbock, Tex., where he is charged with conveying false and misleading information and hoaxes, the authorities said." Because of the call on April 24, Liberty Island was evacuated. For the complete article, click here. "New Rendering & First Look At Interiors For DDG's 12 Warren Street, in Tribeca," New York YIMBY, 8/13/15. The condo project coming to 12 Warren St. in Tribeca is coming right along. "The building is technically an alteration of an existing structure, which will be expanded from 37,268 square feet and five floors to 55,447 square feet spread over twelve floors," says New York YIMBY. "Including the bulkhead, the height of the old building will more than double, from 73 feet up to 162 feet. The entirety of the project will be residential, divided between thirteen condominiums, and HTO Architect is the architect of record, though DDG designs its projects in-house. Configurations will range from full-floor homes to duplex and triplexes, and units will average a palatial 4,300 square feet. Most residences will feature private outdoor spaces, and all homes will have direct elevator entry." For the complete article, with photographs, click here. "Fulton Transit Center's Retail Will Finally Open in the Fall," New York YIMBY, 8/14/15. "When the Fulton Transit Center opened last November, glowing reviews celebrated its 53-foot-wide oculus while lamenting its $1.4 billion price tag, which had doubled since the project's inception several years before," says New York YIMBY. "Some fears about the cost were assuaged by the fact that the MTA had turned the central hub at Fulton into a 180,000-square-foot mall, with retail encircling a four-story atrium. Nine months have passed, and the Fulton Center's glassy storefronts remain empty." Now, says YIMBY, spokespeople for Westfield, which manages the retail bookings, and the MTA say that "the Fulton Center retail will begin opening in the fall and continue through 2016. There will be about 20 stores ranging from retail and service providers to eateries and full service restaurants." For the complete article, click here. "Condo Owners Can Proceed With Breach of Contract Claims," New York Law Journal, 8/18/15. The New York Law Journal reportes that, "Loft condominium owners at 111 Hudson St. in Tribeca who discovered a $2.5 million structural defect after moving into the building cannot sue on securities law or fraud claims, but can go forward with a breach of contract cause of action, a Commercial Division judge ruled. Justice Anil Singh, in a July 31 decision released Friday, said the offering plan under which the six condo units at 111 Hudson St. were marketed in 2008 constituted a contract between the sponsors who converted the building to a condo and the plaintiffs who purchased units. The buyers had alleged a breach with adequate particularity to survive the defendants' motion to dismiss. They also alleged that the sponsors who sold the units received an engineering report a few weeks before the first unit sales saying years of water damage from a street-level store had undermined the building's foundation, causing $2.5 million in damage. The condominium offering plan, required to be filed with the New York State Attorney General's office, assured buyers that the sponsors had 'no knowledge of any material defects or need for major repairs to the property.'" For the complete article, click here. Battery Park City resident Dennis Gault running for District Leader: Dennis Gault has announced his candidacy for male District Leader in the 66th Assembly District, Part B. Gault, who lives in Battery Park City, is running against incumbent John Scott, who lives at Independence Plaza North. District leaders are unpaid and serve as advocates for residents with elected officials. They also work to ensure the integrity of the voting system. District leaders serve two-year terms, with one male and one female district leader for each district. Gault has been an active member of Community Board 1 for the past 10 years. He is an educator by profession and has been a longtime advocate for the neighborhood's public schools. "As an executive member of CB1, I have used that platform to fight for more funding for public schools, pedestrian safety and many other issues," he said in a statement announcing his candidacy. He said that he is most proud of his work to help build PS 276, the K-8 school on Battery Place and New York City's first "green" school. "I believe that all students deserve a high-quality public education, and teachers need the resources and support that will allow them to teach," he said. "This belief motivated me to run for and get elected PTA President of Public School 89. As head of the PTA from 2006 to 2008, I worked with the school community and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help improve our underfunded school. As a public school teacher and parent, I know the importance of a quality public education." Gault's running mate is Terri L. Cude, also a native New Yorker and graduate of Hunter College High School and Queens College. She is currently vice chair of Community Board 2. Voting for district leaders takes place during the primary election, which will be held on Sept. 10.
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Downtown bulletin board
BPC BLOCK PARTY; SEPT. 10 COMMEMORATION AT 9/11 MUSEUM; TRIBECA MEET & GREET; OPEN HOUSE NEW YORK SEEKS VOLUNTEERS
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| Hector Rivera, manager of the map room in the office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, showing visitors to the Borough President's office some maps of Manhattan created by John Randal in the early 19th century. They were on display as part of last year's Open House New York weekend. OHNY is now seeking volunteers to help with this year's Open House weekend. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Battery Park City block party tables: The 14th annual Battery Park City block party is scheduled this year for Sept. 20, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., on the plaza next to North Cove Marina. If you want a table at the block party to promote your business or organization, contact Ava Garrett at avagarrett@hotmail.com. Tables cost $25 for businesses and are free to not-for-profit organizations and public schools. Battery Park City businesses and members of the Battery Park City Chamber get first preference. Sept. 10 at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum: On the evening of Sept. 10, the 9/11 Memorial Museum invites 9/11 and 1993 family members, 9/11 rescue and recovery workers, active duty first responders, 9/11 survivors, and lower Manhattan residents and business owners to come to the museum between 5 p.m. to closing for a special gathering of remembrance for the 9/11 community. The Museum will be reserved exclusively for this group. If you are a member of one of these groups, you can reserve your free ticket(s) to visit the Museum by going to 911memorial.org/September10 or by calling (212) 266-5211. Due to limited availability, advance reservations are strongly advised. OHNY seeks volunteers for October Open House Weekend: Open House New York is assembling a team of more than 1,000 volunteers for OHNY Weekend, Oct. 17 and 18. Each year, OHNY Weekend opens up hundreds of buildings and sites throughout the five boroughs for two days of tours and talks with architects, urban designers, historians, city officials, and others. One of the country's largest architecture and design festivals, OHNY Weekend is a celebration of New York's built environment and an unparalleled opportunity to experience the city. OHNY Weekend volunteers help at one of the several hundred participating sites and tours to welcome visitors from across New York and around the world and to assist with check-in and manage lines. Volunteer for one shift (average length of four hours) and receive a Volunteer Passport - which gives you and a friend front-of-the-line access to all sites that do not require advance reservations during OHNY Weekend - as well as a limited-edition 2015 OHNY Weekend t-shirt. For more information go to www.ohny.org or email volunteer@ohny.org. To sign up, click here.
Tribeca Meet & Greet: Tribeca Meet & Greet resumes on Tuesday, Sept. 1 with an informal get-together at Chambers Pottery, 153 Chambers St., between 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. (Take the elevator to the second floor.) Tribeca Meet & Greet meets in a different Tribeca restaurant or business about once a month to exchange ideas, do some networking and have a drink with the neighbors. Some people show up for the full evening, some just drop by to say hello. Frankly Wines at 66 West Broadway provides beverages and MaxDelivery brings nibblybits. At this get-together, representatives from the office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will be giving out information about an upcoming a Lower Manhattan Small Business Roundtable and would appreciate feedback. "Please feel free to bring business cards, menus, flyers and other information about you and your business," said David Cleaver of the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center, organizer of the event. "Everybody's welcome and this is a free event." "Chambers Pottery is a lovely space to create your own works of art," Cleaver said of the venue for this meeting. "They teach beginners and more experienced craftspeople, with special classes for children, birthday parties and corporate team-building events." For more information, or to make a contribution call Cleaver at (212) 220-1459.
South Street Seaport Museum's Mini Mates program expands: The South Street Seaport Museum begins a new fall session of the Mini Mates program with an expanded schedule. Sessions will be held on Thursdays and Fridays from Sept. 10 to Nov. 20. The expanded schedule will allow more families to participate while keeping class size to no more than 12 students per class. Families can sign up for Thursdays and/or Fridays, as both days will offer the same program. This program, aimed at children ages 18 months to 4 years and their parents or caregivers, is designed to encourage adults to engage in fun and educational activities with their children under the guidance of a museum educator. Themes include holidays, the changing seasons, nature, and the Seaport neighborhood. Time: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Cost for one class per week, $275; $550 (for two classes per week). Drop-in Open Play, open to Mini Mates participants only, will be held on Wednesdays, Sept. 9-Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with a $100 additional optional fee for access to space during Open Play time. All Museum Family Members will receive a 10% discount. To reserve space in Mini Mates, email education@seany.org or call (212) 748-8753. Registration is now open.
Downtown Boathouse: Through the end of August, the Downtown Boathouse at Pier 26 in Hudson River Park (near North Moore Street) offers free kayaking on weekday evenings from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday kayaking runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through mid-October, weather permitting. In addition, the Downtown Boathouse offers free kayaking classes on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. On Aug. 26, the topic will be rescue and recovery and on Sept. 2, local conditions. For more information about the Downtown Boathouse, which is run by volunteers, click here.
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.
Tom Goodkind, a member of Community Board 1 who once headed its now defunct Housing Committee, writes, "To be eligible for this affordable housing, your annual household income must be below 60 percent of the area median income. That means that your income can be no more than $51,780 (family of four); $46,620 (family of three); $41,460 (family of two); $36,300 (individual)."
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.
Downtown Post Portfolio: Downtown Post Portfolio is a 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.
South Street Seaport Museum on Schermerhorn Row: To see photographs of some of the
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The laundry room of the Fulton Ferry Hotel survives inside Schermerhorn Row in the South Street Seaport. Here maids, many of them Irish immigrants, washed the hotel's linens and hung them on racks to dry. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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artifacts inside the South Street Seaport Museum's premises on Schermerhorn Row and photos of past exhibitions, 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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CALENDAR: Week of Aug. 17
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On Wednesdays and Saturdays from May to October, free outdoor drawing classes sponsored by the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy meet in South Cove and in Wagner Park. For more information, click here. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Aug. 21: At Sunset Jam on the Hudson, master drummers lead a drumming circle in improvisations on African, Latin and Caribbean rhythms. They start by teaching traditional drumming patterns, establishing a steady heartbeat pulse. Then, participants are asked to contribute their own rhythmic patterns as part of call and response chanting and drumming. Instruments are provided, or bring your own. Place: Wagner Park in Battery Park City. Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
Aug. 22: The annual Blues BBQ in Hudson River Park brings top blues musicians to the park along with food from New York City's best barbecue restaurants. This year, hear the Otis Taylor Band, Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens, Jarekus Singleton, Vaneese Thomas, and the Ed Palermo Big Band. Place: Pier 16 at North Moore Street. Time: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Rain or shine. For more information, click here. Aug. 23: South Street Seaport Museum's 1885 schooner, Pioneer, and Draw-Mania!, the long-running downtown draw-a-thon and variety show, are offering artists, art students and others the opportunity to sketch during a two-hour Pioneer sail. There will be three live models plus views of the harbor, the shoreline, other boats and the ship's crew. Bring your own materials (but not easels. There is no room for that.) Extra water, paper towels, a place to keep your work until ashore, and fixative once ashore for those who wish to use it, will be provided. Place: Leaving from Pier 16 in the South Street Seaport. Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets: $45; $35 (South Street Seaport Museum members). Tickets must be ordered in advance. To buy tickets, click here. Ongoing: "Spirits of the Passage: Stories of the Transatlantic Slave Trade" on the museum ship Lilac at Hudson River Park's Pier 25 discusses aspects of the maritime trade in African slaves combined with profiles of slaves, former slaves, abolitionists and others whose lives were touched by this global traffic. The exhibit was created by the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum ( www.melfisher.org) in Key West, Fla. Lilac received key funding from the Sandy Hook Pilots' Association ( www.sandyhookpilots.com) to bring this exhibit to New York. Through Sept. 27. The ship is open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Lilac is the last steam-powered lighthouse tender in America and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Launched on May 26, 1933, she carried supplies to lighthouses and maintained buoys for the U.S. Lighthouse Service and then the U.S. Coast Guard until she was decommissioned in 1972. For more information about Lilac, 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. This weekend, on Aug. 22, 32 teams will be vying for the bocce championship. Place: Colonel's Row. Time: Noon to 5 p.m. Also on Aug. 22, there will be a Seafood & Music Beach Party, tickets required, at the Governors Beach Club. Time: 2 p.m.- 9 p.m. For more information and tickets, click here. On Sunday, Aug. 23, there will be a spectator-judged vintage Volkswagen car show and picnic with a line-up of nearly 100 Beetles, buses, dune buggies and other original VW's from the 1950's to the 1970's. Place: Colonel's Row. Time: noon to 5 p.m. For a calendar of Governors Island events, 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: Open House New York is hosting boat tours of 3.8-mile Newtown Creek on Sept. 3. In the years leading up to World War II, Newtown Creek was one of the busiest commercial waterways in the United States, second only to the Mississippi River in tonnage. As the dividing line between Brooklyn and Queens, Newtown Creek is now at the center of some of the most rapidly changing neighborhoods in the city. The tour will cover the history of Newtown Creek, the bridges that cross it, the thriving industrial districts that line its banks, and prospects for its future. Frank Loncar of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection will discuss Greenpoint's iconic Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant - the largest of 14 in the city - followed by a discussion of the area's industrial legacy with Newtown Creek Alliance Historian Mitch Waxman and Program Manager Will Elkins. The tours will be aboard New York Water Taxi, leaving from the East 35th Street ferry terminal. Time: tours at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets: $40 (general admission); $30 (OHNY members); $75 (special combo of one general admission and one OHNY Friend membership). To buy tickets, click here.
Buy tickets now: The 23rd annual Great North River Tugboat Race & Competition takes place on Sunday, Sept. 6 (Labor Day Weekend). Tugboats and their crews race down the Hudson River and then engage in nose-to-nose stand-offs (a test of power), a line toss, and other events such as competitions for the best tattoo and best mascot. A Circle Line spectator boat accompanies the race, with partisans for each tugboat cheering lustily. The Circle Line Sightseeing Boat leaves from Pier 83 (at West 42nd Street and the Hudson River) at 9:30 a.m. Boarding begins at 9 a.m. Tickets: $25 (adults); $20 (seniors, 64+); $12 (children); free (2 and under). To buy tickets, click here Brooklyn: Aug. 22: The Battle of Brooklyn (sometimes called the Battle of Long Island) in August 1776 was the largest single battle of the American Revolution. The 239th anniversary of the battle will be commemorated at the American Veterans Memorial Pier (69th Street Pier) in Bay Ridge with costumed performers reenacting historical events accompanied by music and storytelling. Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. For more information, click here. Additional commemorations of the battle take place in Brooklyn throughout the week and on Aug. 30 at Green-Wood Cemetery, where part of the battle was fought. For more information, click here. The first major conflict after the United States declared independence on July 4, 1776, the Battle of Brooklyn took place around six weeks later. British forces had landed at Gravesend Bay in August, and on Aug. 27, they attacked General George Washington and his Continental Army. Weakened by casualties and outnumbered, the Americans retreated to Brooklyn Heights. On the evening of Aug. 29, General George Washington engineered a famous, daring escape, ferrying the entire Continental army of 9,000 men across the East River to safety in Manhattan without a single casualty.
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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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