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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 2, No. 75 Nov. 20, 2015
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* Calendar: Week of Nov. 16
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: Tea towels, oven mitts and other kitchen equipment for sale at Le District in Brookfield Place, Battery Park City. Nov. 15, 2015. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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 AFTER 40 YEARS AT THE SOUTH STREET SEAPORT, THE MUSEUM'S BARQUE, PEKING, WILL LEAVE FOR HAMBURG, GERMANY THIS SPRING |
| | The South Street Seaport Museum's barque, Peking, was built in Hamburg, Germany in 1911. She was one of the last commercial sailing ships, transporting nitrate from the west coast of South America, around Cape Horn, to Europe. She carried 32 sails on four masts.(Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The masts of the barque, Peking, have towered over the South Street Seaport for the last 40 years, but if all goes according to plan, they will be gone in the spring.
After more than 10 years of discussions and negotiations, the city of Hamburg has offered to take the massive ship and restore her as the centerpiece of a maritime museum that has yet to be built. The German government has allocated 120 million euros (around $128 million) to rehabilitate the Peking and to construct the maritime museum. Of this allocation, 30 million euros would go to the Peking.
Peking was built in Hamburg in 1911 for the German company, F. Laeisz, which used the ship
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| | Peking's masts juxtaposed against some of the skyscrapers of the Financial District. |
to transport nitrate from the west coast of South America to Europe. She was one of several similar ships that were known as the "Flying P-Liners." The others were named Padua, Pamir, Passat and Pommern. Pamir was lost in 1957 in the Atlantic Ocean. Peking's sister ships still exist - the last commercial sailing ships. Though most cargo ships were fuel-powered by the time Peking was built, sailing ships were still practical for long runs with heavy cargo, where fuel costs would have been prohibitive.
The trip between Europe and South America was long and arduous but Peking was a warrior among sailing ships. The men who sailed her around the treacherous seas of Cape Horn were strong, skilled and heroic. Some of what they endured was recorded in an extraordinary documentary filmed in 1929 by Irving Johnson that is still available.
Peking's owner, the South Street Seaport Museum, also owns the square-rigged Wavertree, like
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Wavertree in the foreground - with Peking in the background.
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Peking, a commercial sailing ship but smaller and older than Peking. The museum does not have the resources to restore and maintain two large square-rigged ships and has chosen to put its money into the Wavertree, currently at Caddell Dry Dock in Staten Island, where she is undergoing a year-long, $10.6 million restoration. Peking is 50 percent larger than Wavertree, and in worse shape. "Wavertree, although she's 26 years older than Peking, was built out of wrought iron plate," said Capt. Jonathan Boulware, executive director of the South Street Seaport Museum. "Peking has a steel hull. Iron plate is just amazing stuff and it is much more resistant to corrosion than the steel of the early 20th century."
Boulware said that, "Peking's condition is very poor. Hamburg is going into this with their eyes open. They have set aside an appropriate amount of money to address that question."
The South Street Seaport Museum initially wanted to sell Peking. A price tag of $11 million was discussed at one time. Now the museum is giving the ship away. A bare minimum of maintenance for the ship costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. In addition, there is the problem of dock space. Formerly, the museum controlled more than 2,000 linear feet of dock space in the East River, from Pier 14 to Pier 18. Now it is reduced to just one dock - Pier 16.
When Wavertree returns from shipyard in May, she will occupy the space now used by Peking. However, even with Peking gone, the museum will be short of berths. The museum would like to host visiting historic ships like the Hermione, which came to the Seaport this past July and drew huge crowds, but "At this point, the museum does not have visiting vessel space," said Boulware.
The problem could become even more acute. According to Save Our Seaport, a grassroots organization concerned with the preservation of the museum and the Seaport Historic District, five years ago, the New York City Economic Development Corporation awarded the Pier 15 lease to a private operator - Hornblower Cruises - and "subsequently changed the terms of their lease to eliminate mooring for historic vessels."
Hornblower Cruises has been very supportive of the South Street Seaport Museum, allowing Wavertree to use the north side of Pier 15 before she left for shipyard, but it could exercise its rights. Hornblower now uses the rest of Pier 15 for several boats that cruise New York harbor and reportedly would like to add to its fleet at that pier.
Though the agreement with Hamburg for the transfer of Peking has been worked out in principal, there are still some unanswered questions. According to Boulware, Peking will have to be towed to a New York City shipyard to be prepared for her journey across the Atlantic Ocean. After that, she will be towed to what Boulware described as "a dry dock that goes to sea" that will transport her across the ocean. It is not yet clear who will pay these costs.
The news of Peking's departure from the Seaport has drawn mixed reactions. Some people have long said that the ship was an albatross that the museum needed to divest. Others say they are sad to see her go.
Save Our Seaport said in a press release that it applauded the German government's commitment to fund the rehabilitation but, at the same time, lamented the loss of the configuration of prows and masts that suggested what was meant when South Street was called the "Street of Ships." "Without making berthings available to the South Street Seaport Museum for its collection of vessels, the departure of the Peking will leave us with a 'Street of Ship,'" Save Our Seaport said.
As for Boulware, he said that he, too, had mixed feelings. "There's no question that I'm sad to see Peking go," he said. "This is the ship that I grew up watching - the film of her rounding Cape Horn. This is a very powerful and important ship. But in selecting the ship that is going to be the centerpiece of the museum, Wavertree is the right ship. Peking isn't. And for Hamburg, Peking is the right ship. Yes. It's sad. Tears will be shed on the day she leaves New York harbor. But it's the right thing for the museum and it's the right thing for Peking."
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Looking through a porthole on the Peking.
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DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE ROLLS OUT NEW CONNECTION BUSES
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| | One of the new Downtown Alliance Connection buses, which were introduced on Nov. 15. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The Downtown Alliance's new Connection buses, which debuted on Nov. 15, are hard to miss. They are fire engine red with the word "free" plastered prominently on the sides along with a map showing the major stops on the round-trip route between the South Street Seaport and Broadway near City Hall.
The Connection buses make a total of 37 stops, seven days a week, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m. During the week, seven buses ply the route at approximate intervals of 10 minutes, depending on traffic. On weekends, there are five buses at 15-minute intervals.
The new buses differ from the old, white ones in several important ways. They have a domed
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Community Board 1 chairperson Catherine McVay Hughes holding onto the grab bar that now makes it possible to safely stand on the Connection buses if all of the seats are occupied.
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roof and grab bars, making it possible for people to safely stand and ride if all of the 22 seats have been taken. That means that around 30 people can ride on a Connection bus at any one time. For added safety, the buses now have seat belts.
Also, the lift for people in wheelchairs is now at the front of the bus instead of the rear, making it easier and faster for drivers to help these passengers on and off. The steps on the bus are less steep than on the former buses - a welcome change for anyone who is mobility impaired, traveling with children or carrying groceries or other packages.
The new buses also have an improved GPS system, which will make arrival information more accurate. Electronic countdown clocks are located at many of the bus stops, providing information about the arrival time of the next two buses. In addition, riders can use the NextBus app to learn the exact location of the closest bus and when it is scheduled to arrive. (For the app, click here.)
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New street signage for the Connection bus.
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Formerly, a squiggle indicated where the Connection bus would stop. Putting an end to this mystery, now the bus stops clearly say "Downtown Connection."
All of these changes come with a new bus operator. Golden Touch Transportation has been signed to a three-year contract. This company has around 500 buses operating throughout the city and was selected by the Downtown Alliance after an RFP was issued that elicited five responses, including a response from the previous contractor.
The Downtown Alliance, which manages the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District, serving an area from City Hall to the Battery and from the East River to West Street, launched the free Connection bus in 2003. In 2009, the route was expanded.
Although technically outside of the Alliance's jurisdiction, the buses run through Battery Park City. The Battery Park City Authority contributes $632,000 annually to the cost of the buses.
At a meeting of the Battery Park City Authority's board of directors on July 31, 2014, Robert Serpico, the BPCA's chief financial officer, commented that of the buses' 37 stops, 18 are in Battery Park City. He said that 45 percent of all rides begin in Battery Park City, and 49 percent of them end there.
"It's a great service to our community," he said.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Catherine McVay Hughes, Jessica Lappin and Shari Hyman cutting the ribbon to inaugurate the new Connection buses. McVay Hughes is chairperson of Community Board 1; Lappin is president of the Downtown Alliance and Hyman is president of the Battery Park City Authority.
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Bits & Bytes
WTC PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ARCHITECT ANNOUNCED; STUYVESANT CALLED 'BEST PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL'; REFUGEE BILL
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A cartoon from the satirical magazine, Puck, depicted the plight of a new immigrant who was shunned by wealthy men who had once been poor immigrants themselves. The cartoon is in the collection of the Ellis Island museum. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Architect Chosen for Performing Arts Center at World Trade Center," Wall Street Journal, 11/20/15. "The latest iteration of the performing-arts center at the World Trade Center site is to be designed by a former prot�g� of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas," the Wall Street Journal reports. "On Friday, the center is expected to announce that REX, a Brooklyn-based firm led by Joshua Prince-Ramus, will lead the project, with the firm Davis Brody Bond as executive architect. Mr. Prince-Ramus's past work includes the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Dallas and the Seattle Central Library. REX is currently working on the $200 million overhaul of 5 Manhattan West, a ziggurat-like building near the site of the Hudson Yards development in Manhattan. His selection marks another step forward for the long-delayed center. Earlier this month, $10 million in federal money was allocated to help fund design and engineering costs for the project. Now envisioned as an 80,000-square-foot building, the center is intended to serve as a cultural anchor for lower Manhattan where new works of theater, dance and music would be produced." For the complete article, click here.
"Family Portrait Project for Homeless Families Uses Art to Change Lives, Perceptions," Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, jjie.org, 11/12/15. "Tears of joy streamed down [Colleen Morgridge's] face as she covered her mouth with her hands, staring in amazement at the portrait of the proud mother smiling over the shoulder of a young girl with the dancing brown eyes," the Juvenile Justice Information Exchange reported. "Morgridge, 47, who is homeless, was getting her first look at a large portrait of her and her daughter, on display as part of Art Start's Family Portrait Exhibit. First launched in 2013 by Art Start, the Family Portrait Project is a collaboration between homeless families and professional photographers to document homelessness with family portraits and oral histories. The exhibit kicked off its latest installment with a reception Wednesday evening at the South Street Seaport and will be on display through the end of the year." For the complete article, click here. "Northwind Group, Newmark Holdings Acquire Lower Manhattan Office Building for $115M," rebusinessonline.com, 11/17/15. "Northwind Group and Newmark Holdings have acquired 40-42 Exchange Place, a 20-story office building with ground-floor retail in Lower Manhattan's Financial District," says rebusinessonline.com. "Eastern Consolidated arranged the $115 million sale. The office building was on the market for the first time in 25 years." For the complete article, click here. "Bronx man charged with rape of woman, attempted rape of two others in three-hour span, cops say," Daily News, 11/14/15. "Cops have cuffed a 20-year-old Bronx hothead they say raped a woman on the Lower East Side and tried to sexually assault two other women during a sick three-hour stretch, officials said Saturday. Robert Bowie is facing a slew of rape, robbery and burglary charges for the string of attacks that began at 5:40 a.m. Thursday, officials said. The suspect first followed a 33-year-old woman into her James St. apartment, where he grabbed and attempted to rob and rape her, but the woman was able to fight him off, police said. Bowie resurfaced two hours later and began following a 24-year-old woman into an apartment on Broome St., cops said." For the complete article, click here. "Half of New Yorkers Say They Are Barely or Not Getting By, Poll Shows," New York Times, 11/18/15. The New York Times reports that, "Half of New York City residents say they are struggling economically, making ends meet just barely, if at all, and most feel sharp uncertainty about the future of the city's next generation, a new poll shows. The poll, conducted by The New York Times and Siena College, shows great disparities in quality of life among the city's five boroughs. The stresses weighing on New Yorkers vary widely, from the Bronx, where residents feel acute concern about access to jobs and educational opportunity, to Staten Island, where one in five report recently experiencing vandalism or theft. But an atmosphere of economic anxiety pervades all areas of the city: 51 percent of New Yorkers said they were either just getting by or finding it difficult to do so. Even in Manhattan, three in 10 said they were just getting by. (Fifty-eight percent said they were doing all right or thriving financially - the highest response of the five boroughs.)" For the complete article, click here. "The 25 best public high schools in America," businessinsider.com, 11/18/15. "A great education doesn't have to cost a fortune - especially in high school," says Business Insider. "Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, just released its 2016 rankings of the best public high schools in the country. The ranking looked at over 100,000 schools based on 27 million reviews from more than 300,000 students and parents. They rated schools in areas like academics, teachers, student culture and diversity, and resources and facilities. Many are charter or magnet schools, meaning they pull in qualified students from around their districts." Stuyvesant High School on Chambers Street in Battery Park City topped the list. For the complete article, click here. "Toll Brothers files plans for 19-story Tribeca condo building," The Real Deal, 11/19/15. "David Von Spreckelsen's Toll Brothers City Living is following through on plans to develop a 19-story condo building at 351-355 Broadway, though a few details have changed," says The Real Deal. "Toll Brothers filed permit applications Wednesday for a 112-unit, 161,000-square-foot building on the site, which sits between Franklin and Leonard streets on Tribeca's eastern edge. The new structure will house five apartments on the second floor, all with private terraces. It will have eight apartments each on the third through seventh floors, seven each on the eight through 13th floors and six each on the 14th through 16th floors. The 17th and 18th floors will contain two duplex apartments. Two units on the 19th floor, and a common rooftop terrace will cap the building off." For the complete article, click here. "House Approves Tougher Refugee Screening, Defying Veto Threat," New York Times, 11/19/15. "The House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to slap stringent - and difficult to implement - new screening procedures on refugees from Syria seeking resettlement, seizing on the fear stemming from the Paris attacks and threatening to cloud President Obama's Middle
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Ellis Island - the main immigration portal for the United States between 1892 and 1954.(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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East policy," The New York Times reports. "The bill, which passed 289 to 137 with nearly 50 Democrats supporting it, would require that the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the director of national intelligence confirm that each applicant from Syria and Iraq poses no threat, a demand the White House called 'untenable.' The measure received significant support from Democrats, even after administration officials implored them to abandon the measure on Thursday morning. The Senate is expected to take up the measure after the Thanksgiving recess, but its fate in that chamber is unclear." For the complete article, click here. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who represents New York's 10th Congressional District, which includes Lower Manhattan, did not support this bill. Nadler is the senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet. In a speech opposing H.R. 4038, he called the bill "irresponsible." "The shocking and tragic events in Paris have touched people all over the world and strengthened our resolve to defeat the terrorists who are responsible for these heinous acts, and for taking down a Russian airliner and carrying out deadly bombings in Beirut. But defeating terrorism should not mean slamming the door in the faces of those who are fleeing its deadly consequences. That is why I am appalled by the actions of this House and by some of the words of my colleagues today. The United States has always been, and should always be, a place of refuge. Remember, the Syrian refugees are running away from ISIS. They are running away from war and terror. They are its victims. To stop thousands of desperate people who are fleeing unspeakable violence is unconscionable. We might as well take down the Statue of Liberty." For a video of Nadler's statement to the House of Representatives, click here.
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Bits & Bytes
THE SHELDON SILVER TRIAL CONTINUES IN FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT
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| | Sheldon Silver with his defense team. Left to right, Steven Molo, Joel Cohen, Sheldon Silver, Justin Shur and defense team staff. (� Elizabeth Williams) |
"Firm Was Wary of Ending Silver Fee Sharing, Witness Testifies," New York Law Journal, 11/17/15. "A lobbyist testified Monday that executives for a large New York developer were concerned that if they terminated a fee-sharing arrangement that benefited former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, they would risk alienating one of the most powerful political leaders in the state," according to the New York Law Journal. "Richard Runes, a lobbyist for Glenwood Management, told the government in a prior witness interview that the decision whether to terminate the fee sharing was 'like holding a tiger by the tail' and 'you have a difficult choice to make' of whether to let the tail go. Although he was concerned about the 'optics' of the fee arrangement, 'I did not want to alienate the speaker,' Runes told a federal jury in Manhattan. The Southern District U.S. Attorney's Office claims Silver, 71, received kickbacks through two schemes. In one, he allegedly was paid more than $3 million from 100-attorney personal injury firm Weitz & Luxenberg for cases referred by asbestos doctor Dr. Robert Taub, who then received $500,000 in state funds for his research center as well as other favors by Silver. In the second scheme, Silver is accused of receiving about $700,000 in referral fees for steering two developers, Glenwood Management and the Witkoff Group, to the two-attorney tax certiorari firm Goldberg & Iryami." For the complete article, click here. "Jury Hears Where Sheldon Silver's Money Went as U.S. Rests Case," New York Times, 11/18/15. "With State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver accused of taking in nearly $4 million in illicit fees through various quid pro quo schemes, a question has arisen: Where did the money go?" asks The New York Times. "As the government rested its case against Mr. Silver on Wednesday, one of its last witnesses, a Buffalo-area venture capitalist, testified how he helped him invest hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2011, the investor helped him transfer more than $300,000 into Mr. Silver's wife's name, a move prosecutors say was intended to conceal that money. The investments were made in lucrative financial ventures that were typically closed to the public, including in an Australian company that is building a satellite aimed at going into space in 2017. The government has said Mr. Silver, a Democrat from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, used the investments to launder some of what they characterized as criminal proceeds from law firms and others. The investor, Jordan Levy, who had also served as chairman of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation, suggested that Mr. Silver, at the time the speaker of the Assembly, looked favorably on projects in which he had some oversight. Mr. Levy said he spoke with Mr. Silver, whom he called a close friend, about matters that needed the approval of a state board that the speaker helped to lead." For the complete article, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board
TEMPORARY SEAGLASS CAROUSEL CLOSURE; BROOKFIELD PLACE ICE SKATING RINK TO OPEN; FINAL TRINITY WALL STREET CHARRETTE
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Beaubourg, the French restaurant at Le District in Brookfield Place, is now serving breakfast. The menu includes eggs Benedict and cappuccino.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Stockings With Care: Stockings with Care (SWC) was created 24 years ago by casting director (and Battery Park City resident) Rosalie Joseph and producer Tom Fontana to grant the gift wishes of children at the holiday time while preserving the dignity of parents and caregivers. The children make their wish lists, and social workers provide SWC with the name, gender and age of each child along with their wishes. Individual donors (aka "Santas"), corporations and an army of volunteers come together to purchase and wrap the gifts. They are then delivered anonymously to the parents before the holidays, ensuring dignity and creating holiday magic. Last year over 1,000 children woke up to a miracle on Christmas morning. Since its inception in 1992, over 40,000 children have benefited from Stockings with Care. This year's Holiday Drive will take place the weekend of Dec. 10 to Dec. 13. For more information about Stockings with Care or to sign up to be a "Santa," go to www.stockingswithcare.org, Be A Santa or Donate. For additional information, email jeremy@stockingswithcare.org or call (917) 991-5975. Tribeca Greenmarket: In the run-up to Thanksgiving, there are Brussels sprouts and root vegetables for sale at the Tribeca Greenmarket along with the usual assortment of apples, greens, vegetables, cheese, honey, fish, and grass-fed meat. Saturday, Nov. 21, from noon to 1 p.m. is the last day for the Tribeca Greenmarket's Kids Reading Corner with the Battery Park City Library. The Tribeca Greenmarket is on Greenwich Street, just north of Chambers Street. Final charrette to discuss Trinity Wall Street's new parish building: On Saturday, Nov. 21, participate in a community conversation about the mission of Trinity and its impact on a new parish building at 68/74 Trinity Place. Parishioners, staff, Trinity partners, and members of the Lower Manhattan community are invited to take part in this process. A charrette is a gathering of all stakeholders in a project where diverse thoughts, hopes, and ideas are used to generate solutions. The forum will feature the results of a community needs survey and other input from downtown residents. Light food will be served. To RSVP or for more information, contact Susana Perez at sperez@trinitywallstreet.org. Place: St. Paul's Chapel (Broadway at Fulton Street). Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, click here. Breakfast at Beaubourg: Beaubourg, the French restaurant in Le District, now serves breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The menu features eggs prepared in a variety of ways (Benedict, Florentine, Norvegienne with smoked salmon, with steak, and omelets) priced from $12 to $22. French toast, Belgian waffles, beignets (hot, puffy pastries coated with powdered sugar), croissant au jambon (ham and cheese) and bagels with smoked salmon are also on the menu in addition to a variety of side dishes, pastries, fresh-squeezed juices, and of course, several kinds of coffee and tea. Address: 225 Liberty St. Phone: (212) 981-8588. For more information, click here.
Bowne Printers at the Seaport: New products for the fall/winter season are on the shelves at Bowne Printers, part of the South Street Seaport Museum at 209 Water St. Bowne has an outstanding collection of antique presses and type that its printers use to turn out cards, posters and other materials. Available now are 10 new cards, as well as five previously out-of- print reproductions. Bowne is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, click here.
SeaGlass Carousel closed for repairs: SeaGlass Carousel in The Battery will be closed for repairs through Nov. 20. It will reopen on Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. A spokesperson for The Battery Conservancy, which installed the carousel, explained that it has been open two months and has run more than 400 hours. "This is just routine maintenance to ensure everything is working properly," the spokesperson said. Show Canada, which fabricated the carousel, is doing the maintenance work. "Crowds are still coming, but wait time is typically minimal," according to the spokesperson. "The line is rarely longer than 15 minutes." The carousel is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, click here.
School crossing guards needed: School Crossing Guards help children safely cross busy intersections on their way to and from school. They control traffic flow around schools in the morning, at lunch time and at the end of the school day. The New York City Police Department is accepting applications for these positions. There are no formal education or experience requirements for this job, but all candidates must be able to understand and be understood in English. Prospective candidates must pass a qualifying medical examination, which includes drug screening and a character/background investigation, prior to appointment. They must also complete six (6) days of training at the Police Academy once appointed. The pay is $11.50 an hour to start, and $13.49 an hour after three years. Compensation includes health insurance. For more information, click here.
Light Up The Night Hanukkah Gala: Young Friends of the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City are holding their annual Hanukkah gala on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. Held in the Museum's Events Hall at 36 Battery Place, the evening will include dancing, a premium open bar, a dinner buffet featuring sushi and latkes, and a high-end silent auction. Auction items include hotel stays, boutique fitness classes, fine dining, and more. Advance tickets are $108 for members and $126 for non-members. As a special holiday offer, Young Friends Membership and a Hanukkah event ticket may be purchased together for $146 (a 33% savings). Additional sponsorship levels are available. All proceeds benefit the Museum. The mission of the Young Friends is to promote awareness of the Museum throughout the Metropolitan area young professional community (ages 21-39) through social, educational, and philanthropic programming; celebrate Jewish heritage; preserve Holocaust memory; and shape the next generation of Museum leadership.
For more information, including sponsorship opportunities, and to buy tickets, call (646) 437-4252, email youngfriends@mjhnyc.org, or click here.
Emerging Poets Fellowship at Poets House: The Emerging Poets Fellowship is an annual opportunity for poets to receive guidance and instruction from a distinguished and diverse faculty and enter the next stage of their professional and artistic practice. Funded by a grant from the Jerome Foundation, this fellowship immerses poets in a 12-week program consisting of workshops and meetings that are reinforced by the inspiring environment here at Poets House, including our poetry library and unique archives as well as a diverse offering of readings and conversations by leading poets and scholars. The program includes weekly writing workshops, mentoring sessions, meetings with guest speakers, free access to Poets House's events and archival resources and culminates in a final group reading. Each participant will receive a $500 honorarium for their participation and a stipend of $100 to cover travel expenses. There may also be some funding to help participants pay childcare expenses. The application process is competitive; tuition is free to those accepted into the program. For more information about the program and required application materials, click here. The application deadline is Dec. 11, 2015.
The rink at Brookfield Place: The ice skating rink at Brookfield Place will open on Nov. 22, weather permitting. Public skating hours are weekdays, 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and weekends from 10:15 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The rates are $15 (single session of 90 minutes); $5, skate rental; $200, individual season pass; $500, family of three season pass. Group rates, classes, private rentals and private lessons available. For more information, email info@eduskating.com, call (917) 391-8982 or click here.
BPC Chamber meeting: The BPC Chamber is an organization of people who own businesses in Battery Park City. The next BPC Chamber meeting will take place on Dec. 8 starting at 6:30 p.m. at Malaysian Kitchen, 21 South End Ave. The agenda will include a discussion and vote on a dues structure for BPC Chamber membership, an update and authorization to pursue a neighborhood map project, seeking grant funding for the costs; and a discussion of the possibility of New York City taking over the Battery Park City Authority and how that might impact the Battery Park City business community. (This will be an exploratory discussion, with no vote or position taken.) The meeting is open to anyone with a business in Battery Park City.
Affordable housing opportunity: The Related Management Company has announced that a building that it is currently constructing at 456 Washington St. in Tribeca will have 22 apartments for low-income residents. Half of these apartments will go to residents of Community Board 1. There will be five studio apartments for one person, six one-bedrooms for one or two people, and 11 two-bedrooms for two to four people. Rents range from $800 a month to $1,041. Annual household income requirements range from $28,800 a year to $51,780. To apply and for more information about this building, known as Bridge Land West, click here. Applications are due by Dec. 14, 2015. Battery Park underpass closures: All lane closures in the Battery Park underpass are canceled for the week of Monday, Nov. 16, through Saturday, Nov. 21. Work will proceed in the ventilation chambers only.
More free Wi-Fi in Lower Manhattan: The Alliance for Downtown New York recently announced that more than one million square feet have been added to its free Wi-Fi network, bringing plans to provide access for the entire Lower Broadway corridor halfway to completion. In total, the Alliance now provides more than 3.7 million square feet of coverage throughout the district. The most recent addition to the network provides uninterrupted service on Broadway from the Battery to Trinity Church. The Downtown Alliance's network is free. For more information about the network, click here.
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.
South Street Seaport Museum on Schermerhorn Row: To see photographs of some of the 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. SeaGlass Carousel: After 10 years of design and fundraising and a setback named "Sandy," the SeaGlass Carousel in The Battery opened on Aug. 19 to universal critical acclaim and rapturous crowds. Downtown Post NYC was there for the opening. Read about the carousel and see photos by clicking here. SeaGlass Carousel will remain open through Dec. 31, 2015 but will close during January and February, with a reopening in the spring. Taste of the Seaport 2015: The 6th Annual Taste of the Seaport brought more people than ever to the South Street Seaport on Oct. 17 for a fund-raiser to benefit arts education at the Spruce Street and Peck Slip Schools. More than 40 neighborhood restaurants participated, doling out "tastes" to the hungry crowd. There were also activities for kids and cooking demonstrations. For photos of this year's Taste of the Seaport, click here. Wavertree video: The South Street Seaport Museum's 1885 sailing ship, Wavertree, is currently at Caddell Drydock on Staten Island, where the ship is undergoing a $10.6 million refurbishment. The museum has created a video to show the progress of the overhaul. To see the video, click here.
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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 SEEKS NEW MEMBERS
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| | Community Board 1's Landmarks Committee voting on Jan. 5, 2015 on a resolution affecting The Howard Hughes Corporation's proposals for the landmarked portions of the South Street Seaport that it said it wished to develop. Applications for Community Board membership are currently being accepted. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
All Community Board 1 meetings are held in the Municipal Building, 1 Centre St., in CB1's Conference Room, Room 2202A-North, starting at 6 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. The public is welcome to attend and to comment. Bring photo ID to enter the building.
Nov. 26: Office closed for Thanksgiving
Community Board applications open: The Manhattan Borough President's office is currently accepting applications for Community Board membership. Community Boards represent their neighborhoods on crucial issues including real estate development and land use, historic preservation and even liquor licenses. There are 12 Community Boards in Manhattan and 59 citywide.
"Right now Manhattan's Community Boards are in the center of a debate over the most ambitious rezoning proposals in a generation," said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. "Community Boards may be New York City's most grassroots level of government, but they are deeply involved in some of our city's biggest policy questions. If you want to make a difference on anything from investment in our parks and public spaces, to determining the future of our city's skyline and streetscape, Community Boards are the place to start."
Community Board members are appointed to staggered two-year terms by the Manhattan Borough President, with half selected solely by the Borough President and half nominated by the City Council members representing each Community Board district. Since taking office, Brewer has enhanced the selection process by introducing online applications and a robust review process that includes group interviews with discussion and problem-solving components.
Community Board selections for 2016 will be announced in late March.
Although each Community Board has a small, paid administrative staff, Community Board members are volunteers.
If you would like to join your Community Board, fill out the online application by Jan. 29, 2016 at 5 p.m. After submission, you will be contacted regarding the next steps in the screening and interview process. For more information about Manhattan's 12 Community Boards, visit Manhattan Borough President Brewer's website or email Paola Liriano. For the online application, click here. For Manhattan Borough President Brewer's website, click here.
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CALENDAR: Week of Nov. 16
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| | Bowne Printers at 209 Water St. is holding a "wayzgoose" on Friday, Nov. 20 - a celebration traditional among printers to mark the arrival of winter and the need to print by candlelight. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Nov. 20: Traditionally, printers held a "wayzgoose" for their apprentices when daylight grew shorter and they had to print by candlelight. A wayzgoose was a celebration of their work and of the passing seasons. Join Master Printer Robert Warner and Resident Printer Rob Wilson for a celebratory evening of typographic excess and printmakerly merriment as Bowne Printers - part of the South Street Seaport Museum - welcomes the winter printing season. Place: Bowne Printers at 209 Water St. Time: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free. For more information about Bowne Printers, click here. Nov. 21: Evacuation Day Walking Tour. For many years, Nov. 23, 1783 - the day that the British finally left New York City at the end of the American Revolution - engendered citywide celebrations as "Evacuation Day." Led by New York City tour guide Fred Cookinham, the Fraunces Tavern Museum has organized a walking tour that recalls this day by tracing the footsteps of General Washington and his troops as they entered New York City in triumph. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Place: 54 Pearl St. Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 (museum members). For more information and tickets, click here. Nov. 23: Evacuation Day dinner. Hosted by The Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, an Evacuation Day dinner at Fraunces Tavern memorializes the events of Nov. 23, 1783 when the British Army left New York after occupying the city for seven years. That night, the first American-born Governor of New York, George Clinton, honored George Washington, the Commander-in-Chief, with a banquet held in Fraunces Tavern where 13 toasts were offered beginning with "The United States of America" and ending with "May the Remembrances of this Day be a lesson to Princes." Reception at 6:30 p.m. in the Flag Gallery. Dinner at 7:30 p.m. in the Bissell Room, Fraunces Tavern (business attire). Place: 54 Pearl St. Tickets are required and must be purchased in advance. Tickets: $125 (include both the reception and the dinner). For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
Ongoing: The World Trade Gallery's show, "Emerging Artists from the Streets of Brooklyn," continues through Dec. 1. The gallery is open daily. Place: 120 Broadway (entrance on Cedar Street). For more information about the World Trade Gallery, click here.
Ongoing: Work by Trevor Winkfield showcases his visionary contributions to the overall aesthetic of poetry publishing. Place: Poets House, 10 River Terrace in Battery Park City. Exhibition will be on view through Jan. 10, 2016 during regular hours for Poets House. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "America in Circulation: A History of US Currency Featuring the Collection of Mark R. Shenkman," an exhibition at the Museum of American Finance, showcases around 250 rare examples of American paper money accompanied by large, interactive touch screen displays. From Colonial times, American money has told a fascinating story of the country's struggles and successes. Often local and national currencies competed and coexisted with each other, while economic depression, war and counterfeiting drove constant advances in design. The exhibition spans the period from the Colonial era to the present day. Highlights include rare examples of currency bearing the signatures of signers of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence; a complete set of notes from the Educational Series of 1896, renowned for being the most beautiful paper money in American history; and rare examples of high denomination notes including $5,000 and $10,000 bills. Through March 2018. To see an online version of the exhibition, click here. Place: 48 Wall St. Museum is open Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission: $8; $5 (students and seniors); free (museum members and kids 6 and under). For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "Cer�mica de los Ancestros: Central America's Past Revealed" displays 155 ancient objects from the National Museum of the American Indian's rarely seen collections of Central American ceramics. The exhibition examines seven regions representing distinct Central American cultural areas that are today part of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, where Central America's first inhabitants lived. Dating back to 1000 B.C., the ceramics help tell the story of the innumerable achievements of these ancient civilizations, each with unique, sophisticated ways of life, value systems and arts. Through January 2017. Place: 1 Bowling Green. The National Museum of the American Indian is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursdays, until 8 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The Museum of Jewish Heritage presents "Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism," an exhibition that explores the cultural context in which many Jewish �migr� architects and designers created a distinctly modern American design that still has wide appeal today. Through Jan. 17, 2016. Place: 36 Battery Place. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The Skyscraper Museum's 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 November 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: Fraunces Tavern Museum's exhibition, "Lafayette," opened in May to complement the docking of the Marquis de Lafayette's replica ship, L'Hermione at the South Street Seaport over the July 4th weekend. It includes 20 items from the museum's collection such as Lafayette's calling card and the his sash, splashed with his blood from a wound sustained at the Battle of Brandywine. Through December 2016. 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: On Nov. 28, the Municipal Art Society of New York is offering a tour called "What's New in Lower Manhattan." Many high-profile projects are finally beginning to see the light of day in Lower Manhattan. With One World Trade Center now ruled the "tallest" building in the United States, Matt Postal will lead a tour of the immediate neighborhood, discussing new residential towers, Nicholas Grimshaw's Fulton Transit Hub, as well as the recently-opened concourse linking Santiago Calatrava's $5 billion PATH Station to a new entry pavilion at Brookfield Place (formerly the World Financial Center). Place: Meeting place is sent with ticket purchase. Time: 11 a.m. Tickets: $30; $20 (Municipal Art Society members). For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
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Downtown Post NYC is emailed to subscribers twice a week.
Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
All articles and photographs in Downtown Post NYC are copyrighted and
may not be reprinted or republished without written permission.
� 2015
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