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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 3, No. 2 Jan. 14, 2016
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"During the incident that occurred on December 19th, AlliedBarton Security Ambassadors were on patrol in the area. They responded to a request for assistance and acted appropriately ... We are confident in the team's commitment to the Battery Park City community."
- Robin Forst, spokesperson for the Battery Park City Authority, commenting on whether the BPCA is wedded to continuing to retain AlliedBarton in the wake of an assault and robbery in Battery Park City that sent a teenaged boy to the hospital with a fractured skull and blood clots on his brain.
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: A harbor seal near Swinburne Island in New York harbor. Through March, the New York Audubon Society conducts tours of the harbor aboard a New York Water Taxi vessel to see the seals and the many birds that spend their summers north of the Arctic Circle and winter in New York City. Jan. 19, 2014. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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 TWO TEENS ARRESTED FOR DEC. 19 ROBBERY AND ASSAULT NEAR THE BATTERY PARK CITY BALL FIELDS; LIGHTING REPAIRS UNDER WAY
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| An AlliedBarton "safety ambassador" on the Battery Park City esplanade, on Dec. 25, 2015, six days after two teens were assaulted and robbed in Battery Park City.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Two teenagers have been arrested and charged with the robbery and assault of two 16-year-old boys that took place on Dec. 19, 2015 around 10:20 p.m. on the terrace overlooking the Battery Park City ball fields.
Information about the robbery and assault didn't come to light until Jan. 7, 2016, when it was reported by Geoffrey Croft in a blog called "A Walk in the Park." Croft is the founder of NYC Park Advocates, described as "a non-partisan watchdog group dedicated to improving public parks."
One of those arrested, Desmond Jack, is 16 years old and lives at 15 St. James Place in the Alfred E. Smith Houses. He has been charged with robbery in the second degree and assault in the second degree. He was arrested at 11:45 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2016 and arraigned at 1 a.m. on Jan. 13. Bail was set at $5,000 cash or a $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court on Jan. 15. He has no previous arrest record.
The second person arrested is 14 years old. His name has been withheld because of his age. He has been charged with robbery in the third degree.
The complaint against Jack alleges that he stole property from one of the boys who was attacked and in the course of committing the crime or in flight from the scene, he "or another participant" caused physical injury.
According to the complaint, the injured young man said that he was struck on the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground, strike his head on the concrete and lose consciousness. While he was unconscious, his wallet was stolen.
The other boy who was attacked stated in the complaint that he saw Desmond Jack use his closed fist to strike his friend on the back of the head and that he then saw Jack continue to punch and kick his friend while he was lying on the ground.
The 14-year-old, according to the complaint, aided Jack by holding the injured young man down.
The two boys who were attacked were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where one of them remained for several days with a fractured skull, blood clots in his brain and a swollen eye. The other was less seriously injured and was released the next day.
The attack occurred one day after AlliedBarton, a private security firm, began patrolling Battery Park City. AlliedBarton was hired by the Battery Park City Authority, outraging many BPC residents, who didn't learn of this move until it was too late to effectively protest. As a private security firm, AlliedBarton personnel have no authority to issue summons or to make arrests - unlike the Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP), which has been patrolling Battery Park City for more than two decades. The BPCA has put the PEP on a month-to-month contract that expires on Jan. 31, 2016.
The Battery Park City Authority and the New York Department of Parks are currently negotiating to see whether the PEP will continue to patrol Battery Park City.
The two boys who were attacked were with two teenage girls when they were surrounded, according to the NYPD, by a group of around 10 people. At the moment, no other arrests have been made.
The boys told the girls to keep walking, which they did. When they found an AlliedBarton security guard nearby, they pleaded with him to come and help, but according to a statement issued by the parents of the severely injured boy, "AlliedBarton security personnel did nothing to help the children. They watched and even told one girl to calm down and stop yelling. He said it was just his second day on the job. She asked him to run with her to the spot where one boy lay unconscious but he refused and walked like he was strolling through the park. We are not sure he even called 911."
Then, instead of calling the police, he called his supervisor who called 911.
As a result, around half an hour elapsed between the attack and the arrival of the NYPD and a medical team.
After the attack came to light on Jan. 7, the Battery Park City Authority issued a statement that said, "The AlliedBarton Battery Park City Ambassadors were the first to respond to the scene and contacted NYPD and EMT services as well as PEP immediately. PEP responded to the scene based on the notification by AlliedBarton."
On Jan. 13, Robin Forst, the spokesperson for the Battery Park City Authority, commented on the lighting conditions on the steps from Murray Street up to the terrace overlooking the ball fields and on the terrace itself, where the attack took place. "There were working lights throughout this area," Forst said. "Intermittent power issues are affecting certain light fixtures for which BPCA is responsible, a problem BPCA has been working to address for the past several months. A new solution is currently being tested which we anticipate will resolve the problem shortly."
Forst went on to say, "AlliedBarton is playing a critical role in ensuring maintenance issues such as these are addressed as quickly as possible. While the power outages near the ball field required a more complex solution, rather than a typical bulb replacement, the maintenance and upkeep of BPC Parks is a top priority for BPCA."
In answer to a question as to whether the BPCA is still wedded to retaining AlliedBarton, Forst replied, "During the incident that occurred on December 19th, AlliedBarton Security Ambassadors were on patrol in the area. They responded to a request for assistance and acted appropriately by immediately contacting NYPD, EMT services and the PEP. We are confident in the team's commitment to the Battery Park City community."
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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Bits & Bytes
MULTI-MILLION TRIBECA APARTMENTS; 421G TAX-BREAK BATTLE
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| 4 World Trade Center, designed by Fumihiko Maki and 90 West St., a landmarked building designed by Cass Gilbert that dates from 1907. Tenants of 90 West St. are fighting to keep the rent stabilization that they have enjoyed because of a 421g tax abatement.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Taxi King's Showy Tribeca Penthouse Hits the Market For $25M," Curbed.com, 1/8/15. "Taxi King Simon Garber is giving another stab at selling his palatial Tribeca penthouse in the wake of staking it as a $100,000/month rental. The scandal-plagued CEO first listed the property for $30 million in June 2015. The 6,400-square-foot penthouse has now returned for a slightly less astronomical $25 million. The interiors of the glitzy penthouse of 101 Warren are the work of Architectural Digest-celebrated designer Richard Mishaan, who gave the apartment its high-shine lime green kitchen, chain mosaic tile motif in the master bathroom, and other over-the-top finishes." For the complete article, click here. "SoHo. TriBeCa. And ReBeCha?" New York Times, 1/9/16. The New York Times has a real estate column that answers readers' questions. Here's one: "I have lived on Nassau Street in Lower Manhattan for more than 18 years and am always at a loss when people ask what part of town I live in. Saying, 'Near Wall Street' sounds so un-residential. FiDi? Not very charming. Downtown? Boring! City Hall Park? Meh. With the neighborhood poised for a residential boom, it's time we got our own cool neighborhood name. A friend suggested one: ReBeCha. It stands for the Rectangle Below Chambers Street, bounded roughly by Chambers Street, Broadway, Whitehall Street and Water Street (or the East River, if South Street Seaport is included). So, how do we go about renaming it?" For the answer, click here. "Albert Watson's TriBeCa Penthouse Listed at $21.5 Million," New York Times, 1/8/16. "The photographer Albert Watson, whose famous images of Alfred Hitchcock, Steve Jobs and other luminaries from various walks of life have graced magazine covers, movie posters, books and catalogs, is putting his duplex penthouse in TriBeCa on the market. The asking price for the three-bedroom three-and-a-half-bath condominium, unit No. 3450 at 101 Warren Street, with a wraparound terrace offering panoramic views, will be $21.5 million. The monthly carrying charges total around $7,718, according to the Corcoran Group, which is listing the property." For the complete article, click here. "421g tax break battle heats up in NY courts," The Real Deal, 1/11/16. "Are well-heeled New Yorkers paying up to $8,000 a month eligible for rent-stabilization? That's the question at the heart of the current battle over 421g, a tax abatement created to spur residential development in the Financial District. Tenants at 421g buildings are now banding together and challenging their landlords, saying that their apartments - no matter how pricey - should remain rent-stabilized. In two such cases, a landlord is claiming that it has the right to deregulate luxury units. And it has former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in its corner. The 421g program was launched in 1995 by New York State, in an effort to woo residential developers to then-moribund Lower Manhattan." For the complete article, click here. "Check out Related's 70 Vestry Street in Tribeca," The Real Deal, 1/11/16. "Related Companies' planned Tribeca condominium project has a new look. The developer launched a teaser site for 70 Vestry Street this week, along with a new rendering of the 14-story, 46-unit building. The building, which is being designed by starchitect Robert A.M. Stern, will have a French limestone facade and a shape reminiscent of Tribeca's warehouses." For the complete article, click here. "Booming TriBeCa real estate lifts New York Law School," Crain's New York Business, 1/12/16. "It turns out the decision 50 years ago to locate New York Law School in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood might just bolster the institution's finances for the future," says Crain's New York Business. "The private school, founded in 1891, sold $139 million of tax-exempt debt through the Build NYC Resource Corp. on Tuesday at lower than initial yield levels, with investor demand more than four times the amount of securities sold. Moody's Investors Service rated the bonds Baa3, the lowest investment grade, in contrast to its other obligations, which are deemed junk. The higher rank for the deal stems from a mortgage pledge on one of its buildings, which is worth an estimated $170 million. Aside from its valuable real estate, the law school's finances are strained like similar institutions across the U.S. as applications fall to 15-year lows and the job market for lawyers stagnates." For the complete article, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board LUMINARIES HELD OVER; NEW YORK HARBOR ECOCRUISES; COMMUNITY BOARD APPLICATIONS OPEN; FREE WORKSPACE FOR ARTISTS
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| | Naima Rauam just concluded her show "Remembering Fulton Fish Market," marking 10 years since the fishmongers left the South Street Seaport for The Bronx, but anyone who missed the show can still arrange to buy art from her. Her email is seaportartist@gmail.com and her phone number is (212) 964-8465. In addition, she welcomes visitors to her studio, which is on South Street. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Luminaries held over: Luminaries, the light show that David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group devised for Brookfield Place's Winter Garden in Battery Park City, went on display in December and was supposed to come down on Jan. 10. But it has proven so popular that it will remain up until Feb. 29. For photographs of Luminaries, click here.
New York City Audubon Winter EcoCruise: At this time of year, seals return to New York harbor and birds come down from the Arctic to winter in New York City. The New York City Audubon Society offers wildlife-watching cruises aboard New York Water Taxi every Sunday starting Jan. 17 and ending on March 13. They leave from Pier 16 in the South Street Seaport and cost $35 (adults) and $25 (children). Discounted family packs are available. For more information and to buy tickets, click here. For an article from Downtown Post about Audubon's winter EcoCruises, click here.
LMCC offering Workspace for artists: Workspace is a nine-month studio residency program for emerging artists working in all disciplines. The program, sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), offers 25 to 30 artists free, dedicated studio space to create and develop their work and practice. It also provides artists a chance to engage with peers and arts professionals, present their work to the public, and participate in career-advancement opportunities. The residency runs from September 2016 to May 2017. The application deadline is Thursday, Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. On Thursday, Jan. 21, LMCC is holding an information session for Workspace where artists will have the opportunity to hear more about the program from LMCC staff and ask questions about what makes a competitive application. To RSVP for Jan. 21, 2016 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., click here. The session will be held in LMCC's Studios at 28 Liberty St. (between William and Nassau Streets) For more information, call (212) 219-9401 or email workspaceapp@lmcc.net.
Brewer's office accepting capital funding applications: The office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer is accepting capital funding applications from schools, cultural institutions and nonprofits for Fiscal Year 2017. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 12. In FY 2016, Brewer's office awarded $30 million for Manhattan capital projects. Representatives of organizations interested in applying for capital funding grants should schedule a meeting with staff from the Borough President's office. Email budget@manhattanbp.nyc.gov. For more information on eligibility, click here. Friday nights at the Whitney: From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, admission to the Whitney Museum of American Art at 99 Gansevoort St. is now "pay what you wish." The reduced admission charge has been made possible by a gift from The Donald and Barbara Zucker Family Foundation. Tickets usually cost $22 for adults and $18 for seniors. They are free to members and to visitors under 18. Current exhibitions include a Frank Stella retrospective and a show of the paintings of Archibald John Motley Jr. (1891-1981), who first came to prominence in the 1920s during the early days of the Harlem Renaissance. The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875−1942), houses the foremost collection of American art from the 20th and 21st centuries. For more information, click here. Open auditions for Downtown Voices: Are you interested in singing alongside members of the Grammy�-nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street? Trinity is looking for experienced volunteer singers to join Downtown Voices, a newly formed choir bringing together the finest professional and non-professional singers in the New York metro area. The choir rehearses once a week and is directed by Stephen Sands. Spring performances include works by Beethoven, Alberto Ginastera, and James MacMillan. Audition date: Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Place: Trinity Church choir room (Broadway at Wall Street). Time: Slots open starting at 11 a.m. For more information including audition requirements, click here. 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, go to 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.
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. Gracie Mansion: Artifacts and Tours: Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City's mayors at 88th Street and East End Avenue, was built in 1799 as a country retreat for financier Archibald Gracie and his family. At the time, the gracious, Federal-style house was five miles outside the city limits - and at that time, the city limits would have meant what we now call "Lower Manhattan." A recently installed exhibit of paintings, sculptures and documents called "Windows on the City: Looking Out at Gracie's New York" sheds light on what our neighborhood was like at the turn of the 19th century. Slavery was still legal, and there was a slave market at the foot of Wall Street. Clipper ships plied the harbor, taking cargo in some cases to and from Asia - a recently opened market. The streets were noisy with the raucous calls of vendors selling oysters, ice, charcoal, milk and many other goods and services. Immigrants began to arrive in greater numbers, many of them living in crowded tenements and working at monotonous, low-paying jobs. The city, already diverse from the time of the Dutch settlers in the early 17th century, became even more so. For more about Gracie Mansion and to see photographs, click here. Free tours are available on Jan. 19 and 26 and Feb. 2, 9 and 16. To register for a tour, 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
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SeaGlass Carousel in The Battery. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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and see photos by clicking here. SeaGlass Carousel is currently open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. "Crowds are still coming, but wait time is typically minimal," according to a spokesperson for the Battery Conservancy. "The line is rarely longer than 15 minutes." Due to popular demand, the Battery Conservancy has extended operating hours for SeaGlass Carousel. In January and February, SeaGlass will be open on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., weather permitting. SeaGlass will also be open on Monday, Jan. 18 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), and Presidents' Week, Feb. 15-19. For updates on changes to operating hours, follow The Battery Conservancy on Twitter and Facebook. Admission to SeaGlass Carousel is $5 per ride. Access to The Battery is free and open to the public. 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. Downtown Post NYC photos for sale: If would like to buy prints of a photograph that has appeared in Downtown Post NYC, email editor@downtownpostnyc.com with your request for more information about sizes and prices.
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THE BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY'S CURRENT RFPS: TRIBECA BRIDGE PAINTING; PILE REMEDIATION; POLICE MEMORIAL RESILIENCE
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| | The New York City Police Memorial in Battery Park City as it looked on July 30, 2013. It was damaged by Superstorm Sandy and has still not been repaired although an RFP has been issued and is due back in January. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Among the issues raised at the Battery Park City Authority's Community Meeting on Dec. 16 was the fact that most people in Battery Park City had no idea that the BPCA was considering replacing the Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) in whole or in part with a private security force. This was first revealed at a BPCA board meeting on Oct. 27 and subsequently discussed at a Community Board 1 Battery Park City Committee meeting on Nov. 2.
At the Dec. 16 Community Meeting, BPCA management claimed that the residents of Battery Park City should have known about this because an RFP was publicly posted. It was in the New York State Contract Reporter and the New York City Record as well as on the BPCA's website.
However, most Battery Park City residents don't make a habit of checking the BPCA website for RFPs. To help with this situation, Downtown Post NYC will now publish the BPCA's RFPs. Here's the current list:
2016 RFPS
Tribeca Bridge Painting AD - (Proposed Due: 02/01/2016)
Tribeca Bridge Painting RFP
Phase 5 & 6 Pile Remediation - Design & Engineering Services - Ad - (Proposed Due: 1/15/2016)
Phase 5 & 6 Pile Remediation - Design & Engineering Services - RFP
Police Memorial and North Cove Marina Electrical Vault Resilience Project AD - (Proposed Due: 1/11/2016)
Police Memorial and North Cove Marina Electrical Vault Resilience Project RFP
Public Accountant Audit Services - AD - (Proposed Due: 01/06/2016)
Public Accountant Audit Services - RFP
Public Accountant Audit Services - Addendum #1
For more information about these RFPs, click here. |
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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of Jan. 11
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| | Wall Street at night with the New York Stock Exchange and the Art Deco masterpiece at 1 Wall St. that dates from 1928-1932, the work of architect Ralph Walker. On Jan. 14, Community Board 1's Landmarks Committee will consider an application to create new windows and doors, window replacements and other changes to this building, which is being converted into condominiums and rental apartments. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Community Board 1 meetings take place in the Municipal Building, 1 Centre St., Room 2202A-North, starting at 6 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. Bring photo ID to enter the building.
Jan. 14: Landmarks Committee
* 79 Chambers St., application for new storefront - Resolution
* 1 Wall Street, application for creation of new windows and doors and window
replacement, rooftop addition on lower setback floors along Broadway and rooftop
mechanical enclosure - Resolution
* 13 Worth St., application for vertical enlargement of existing lot line windows -
Resolution
* 72 Reade St., application for façade restoration, storefront replacement and new
windows - Resolution
* 11 Hubert St., application for additions to existing building - Resolution
* 385 Greenwich St., application for new storefront, signage, awnings and lighting, and
new and altered door and window openings - Resolution
* 90 Franklin St., application for window replacement - Resolution
* 108-110 Franklin St., application for removal of rear yard extension - Resolution
* Peck Slip Design Concepts - Presentation by Jason Friedman
* Committee Accomplishments for 2015 for CB 1 annual report
Jan. 14: Street Fair Task Force Committee - 6 p.m.
Location: MBPO - 1 Centre Street, 19th Floor South Meeting
* Presentation on the protocol on how to submit an application to the SAPO by Dawn
Tolson, Director Street Activity Permit Office
There will be a special combined meeting of Community Board 1's Seaport and Landmarks Committee on Jan. 19 during which The Howard Hughes Corporation will make a presentation about its plan to go back to the Landmarks Preservation Commission to request changes to its application for the rebuilding of the landmarked Tin Building in the South Street Seaport. Specifically, HHC wants to eliminate a proposed extra floor and to move the building, although not as far as originally proposed. In addition, the Department of Buildings requires loading dock doors that have been added to the original proposal. This application does NOT include further proposed changes to Pier 17 and does not involve the New Market building. Place: Southbridge Towers Community Room, 90 Beekman St. Time: 6 p.m.
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CALENDAR: Week of Jan. 11
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| | Kyle Pfortmiller, Jennifer Charles and Abigail Fischer in "Angel's Bone," an opera about sexual trafficking now playing at 3-Legged Dog. (Photo: Cory Weaver) |
Jan. 15: World Premiere of "Angel's Bone," a new work of opera-theater that melds chamber music, theater, punk rock, opera, cabaret, and electronics, exploring the dark effects and motivations behind modern-day slavery and the human trafficking industry. Featuring The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and NOVUS NY. Composer: Du Yun, Librettist: Royce Vavrek, Director: Michael McQulken, Music Direction: Julian Wachner. Also, Jan. 16 and 17. Place: 3LD Arts & Technology Center (80 Greenwich St.) Time: 7 p.m. Tickets: $25. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
Jan. 14-16: "City Lives," an exhibit of painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, film, video and ceramics, runs at the Borough of Manhattan Community College's Shirley Fiterman Art Center through Jan. 16, 2016. The art is available for sale with proceeds benefiting the BMCC Foundation Scholarship Fund. Place: 81 Barclay St. Open Tues.-Sat., noon to 6 p.m. For more information, 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. 30, 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 February 2016. 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: "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.
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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.
� 2016
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