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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 3, No. 17 April 8, 2016
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Everything is transitory, impermanent. If we see that reality, we can become more calm, less stressed, less depressed, more happy. This is a Buddhist idea, but it's a fact. It's the reality of nature."
- Geshe Thupten Loden, a Buddhist monk who is part of a group of monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery that has been at the Winter Garden this past week making a mandala out of millions of grains of sand
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS IN BATTERY PARK CITY:
To reach AlliedBarton "safety ambassadors," call (212) 945-SAFE (7233). The Battery Park City Command Center is now located at the Verdesian at 211 North End Ave. In case of emergencies, call 911.
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.
All ads in Downtown Post NYC have clickable links. Click on an ad for more information. MASTHEAD PHOTO: Callery pear trees blooming on Rector Place in Battery Park City.
April 5, 2016 (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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 BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY MULLS CHANGES TO WAGNER PARK
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| The Battery Dance Festival taking place in Wagner Park in August 2015.
(Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Wagner Park at the southern end of Battery Park City, dates from 1994. Now the Battery Park City Authority says that it needs an overhaul. A year ago, on April 15, 2015, it issued an RFP asking that urban planning, engineering and/or architecture firms provide the Authority with evaluation, planning and design services for the park.
Specifically, the BPCA asked that the winner of the contract consider the park's susceptibility to coastal flooding and identify "other areas of deficiency, inefficiency, underutilization, incongruity or other concerns." |
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A free art class in Wagner Park organized by
Battery Park City Parks.
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The BPCA said in the RFP that "the build-out of Battery Park City has intensified demand for space to support public and community services, recreation and appropriately scaled commercial activity as well as BPCA's maintenance, security, programming and storage needs." The RFP indicated that the work was to be done in three phases: Assessment followed by recommendations - the second phase - followed by a final report and concept design plans. |
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A man relaxing in Wagner Park before a concert.
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Perkins Eastman Architects won the contract and has created a survey that is now available online. After determining where the respondent lives, the survey asks how often he or she visits the park, in what seasons and for what purposes and specifically whether (and how often) he or she visits Pier A, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Ritz-Carlton, the Battery and the Skyscraper Museum, all of which adjoin Wagner Park. There is a place to write what the person filling out the survey thinks is best about the park and what could be improved. The survey isn't being tabulated. There is nothing on it to identify the respondent. The Battery Park City Authority is holding a community meeting on April 13 at 6 p.m. at 6 River Terrace. The BPCA says that discussion of Wagner Park will be prominent on the agenda. - Terese Loeb Kreuzer
For the survey on Wagner Park, click here.
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The Midsummer Swedish Festival has been held for many years in Wagner Park. It typically attracts around 5,000 people to the park for dancing, singing, wreath-making and Swedish food.
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TIBETAN MONKS BRING PRAYERS, SAND PAINTING, CHANTING AND MINDFULNESS TO THE WINTER GARDEN AT BROOKFIELD PLACE
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| Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery creating a mandala in the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Amid the high-end stores and bustle of the Winter Garden in Battery Park City, 10 Tibetan monks have been working for a week to create a mandala out of millions of grains of sand - each individually placed on a table in an intricate pattern of geometric shapes and ancient spiritual symbols. Arts Brookfield brought the monks to Battery Park City as part of a two-week-long presentation of "The Transcendent Arts of Tibet and India," running from April 4 to April 15. During the second week, it will showcase Bharatanatyam temple dances of South India and North and South Indian classical music. The monks belong to the highly respected Drepung Loseling Monastery, founded in 1416. It was destroyed when the Chinese took over Tibet in 1959. At one time, there were more than 10,000 monks at Drepung Loseling. All but 217 of them were killed or imprisoned. Those that escaped followed the Dalai Lama into exile, reestablishing Drepung Loseling in southern India, where today more than 3,000 monks study and practice Mahayana Buddhism. The creation of a mandala is about prayer - and loss. The mandala is only the outward sign of the week's labor. Most of the time, the monks work in silence, talking only when necessary. |
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Geshe Thupten Loden
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"The purpose of the mandala is to benefit the area and to benefit the inhabitants - mindfulness is the very purpose of its creation," said Geshe Thupten Loden, the spokesperson for the monks. "While the monks are working, they are thinking that. We believe that by creating the mandala, it will bring balance and harmony to nature." The monks are on a year-long tour of the United States as they pray for peace and healing. They call their program of sand painting, chanting and dancing "The Mystical Arts of Tibet." It was started in the 1980's and has been repeated every few years since then. |
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Marble crushed to the fineness of sand and dyed with non-toxic colors.
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Geshe Loden explained that the material used to make the mandala is crushed marble dyed with non-toxic water colors. "You will see many different colors," he said, "but among them are the five basic colors: white, blue, red, green and yellow. These colors represent the elements of nature - water, earth, fire, air and space. The stones have different energy to bring balance and harmony in nature." Geshe Loden said that mandala making is not part of the academic curriculum at the monastery. "The monks who are doing this are specially trained," he said. Their training takes more than a year and a half of rigorous preparation. Only a few people are selected for this work. As the monks create the mandala, behind them is a table set with offerings. There are bowls of water for purification, flowers, incense to purify the environment, candles "representing the elimination of the darkness of ignorance and the light of knowledge," in Geshe Loden's words, scented water to drink and candy or fruit. A photograph of the Dalai Lama is also on the table. On Saturday, April 9 at midday, the mandala will be finished. Then it will be dismantled. "That represents the impermanence of all things," said Geshe Loden. "Nothing lasts forever. If people can take that [thought], I think it will help them in their day-to-day life. It will help with different challenges - losing their friends, family, their jobs, their possessions, wealth - whatsoever. When we depart from things that we are too much obsessed with, it is hard to accept. But if you think carefully about everything, nothing lasts forever. Everything is transitory, impermanent. If we see that reality, we can become more calm, less stressed, less depressed, more happy. This is a Buddhist idea, but it's a fact. It's the reality of nature." Geshe Loden said that the monks "believe that every single grain of sand carries some healing energy due to the interconnectedness of everything." At the closing ceremony, which starts at 1 p.m. on April 9, they will distribute some of the grains of sand to spectators and take the rest to the Hudson River. There they will throw it into the water so that it will flow to the ocean, carrying healing energy and prayers. - Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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The monks begin the mandala by carefully laying out the pattern in chalk.
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Bits & Bytes
BATTERY MARITIME HOTEL GETS BACKER; HELMUT JAHN'S TOWER AT 50 WEST ST.; NEW YORK ACADEMY OF ART'S ANNUAL TRIBECA BALL
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| | The 64-story apartment tower at 50 West St. was designed by Helmut Jahn. It is slated to open in the fall of 2016. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"A Workhorse on the Hudson River, Now Retired From Fighting Fires, Chugs Toward a Second Act," New York Times, 4/3/16. "On a gleaming Thursday morning in March, a candy red fireboat rattled awake and set forth from its station in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. As the ship voyaged north along the Hudson River at nine knots, it left more than half a century of history in its wake," says The New York Times. "Since the 129-foot vessel, the John D. McKean, was commissioned into service in 1954, the sight of it on New York City's waterfront has signaled some variety of peril - a smoldering warehouse, a capsized barge. It was there to douse the flames when a fire in 1991 swallowed the Manhattan terminal of the Staten Island Ferry. It shuttled hundreds of people to safety in Jersey City after the World Trade Center was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, and supplied firefighters with water at ground zero for days thereafter. It gave refuge to passengers huddled on the water-lapped wings of US Airways Flight 1549 after it landed in the Hudson River in January 2009." For the complete article, click here.
"Joseph Medicine Crow, Tribal War Chief and Historian, Dies at 102," New York Times, 4/4/16. With an exhibition called "Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains" on view at the National Museum of the American Indian in Lower Manhattan, the death of Joseph Medicine Crow, the last living war chief of the Crow Tribe of Montana and a renowned Native American historian and anthropologist, should be of interest to anyone who has seen - or plans to see that exhibition. According to The New York Times, Mr. Medicine Crow died on Sunday, April 3, at a hospice in Billings, Mont at the age of 102. The Times says that, "Mr. Medicine Crow was the last living person to have heard direct oral testimony from people who were present before the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. His step-grandfather, White Man Runs Him, was among six Crow scouts for George Armstrong Custer. In 2009, President Obama presented Mr. Medicine Crow with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, citing his contributions as a World War II service member and the author of seminal works on Native American history. In one wartime incident he stole 50 Nazi SS horses from a German camp, the White House said." The Times quoted Herman J. Viola, a historian who collaborated with Mr. Medicine Crow, who said that Mr. Medicine Crow was "a national treasure. There is simply nobody like him. You meet Joe Medicine Crow, you're shaking hands with the 19th century." For the complete article, click here. "Battery Maritime Building gets big backer just in time for opening," New York Post, 4/4/16. "Although it seems like it's taken forever, the landmarked Battery Maritime Building should finally open as a hotel and dining and event destination by the end of next year," says the New York Post. "The city hopes to sign a 99-year lease with Stoneleigh Capital LLC to serve as the project's new developer and operator within a month, sources told The Post. The deal through the Economic Development Corp. requires the harbor-front job, just east of the Staten Island Ferry terminal, to be finished by Dec. 31, 2017. South Norwalk, Conn.-based Stoneleigh was tapped after Battery Maritime's original leaseholders declined to put any more into the project. Costs had soared to at least $25 million higher than the originally estimated $100 million." For the complete article, click here. "New Look at the Amenities of Helmut Jahn's Financial District Tower," Curbed.com, 4/4/16. "Sales at the Helmut Jahn-designed tower at 50 West Street are going great," says Curbed.com, "but there are still a few apartments left on the market in the 191-unit building. To entice buyers, the folks selling 50 West just released unseen renderings of the Thomas Juul Hansen-designed amenity spaces. The 64-story tower topped out in September, and occupancy is slated for the fall of this year. The tower stands 740 feet high and is crowned by an observation deck with binocular tower viewers and barbecues for residents." For the complete article, click here. "Marina Abramovic, Swizz Beatz and Al Pacino at Tribeca Ball," New York Times, 4/6/16. "Can you guess the party based on the celebrity guest list: Marina Abramovic, Swizz Beatz and Al Pacino?" The New York Times inquires. "This unlikely mix helps to separate the New York Academy of Art's annual Tribeca Ball, held on Monday night, from a more predictable rubber-chicken event. The Academy, founded in part by Andy Warhol in 1982 as a graduate school for traditional painting, drawing and sculpture techniques, occupies a sprawling five-story industrial loft with creaky wooden floors on Franklin Street. And it was there that the crowd of celebrities, fabulously dressed upstarts and would-be art collectors traipsed up and down the stairs, through a warren of about 100 tiny art studios and makeshift bars, as performers on stilts and musicians milled about with accordions and guitars." The evening honored Michael and Eva Chow, who had flown in from Los Angeles. (He is founder and co-owner of the Mr. Chow restaurant chain.) Said The New York Times, "'Amazing that in the middle of TriBeCa you have an art school in an enormous loft building,'" Mr. Chow marveled. 'How they survived not being turned into condos, no one knows.'" For the complete article, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board
SQUADRON'S COMMUNITY CONVENTION; FIREBOAT JOHN J. HARVEY GALA; PETER STANFORD MEMORIAL; LITTLE LEAGUE OPENING DAY
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| | Throwing the first pitch at last year's opening of the Downtown Little League season. Opening day this year is Saturday, April 9. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Battery Park City Board of Directors meeting: The Battery Park City Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, April 13 at 3 p.m. at the BPCA office, 200 Liberty St., 24th floor. Matters pertaining to the Battery Park City Conservancy will be the first item on the agenda followed at 3:30 p.m. by other matters before the Authority. Meetings are open to the public for observation, but not for direct participation.
Downtown Little League opening day: The Downtown Little League opens its season on Saturday, April 9. A parade will form starting at 8 a.m. at City Hall Park. At 8:30 a.m., led by the TriBattery Pops, the players and their friends and families will march to the Battery Park City ball fields (between Murray and Warren Streets, West Street and North End Avenue). A ceremony on the ball fields will begin around 9 a.m. Jon Franco, All-Star Mets player, who lives in Lower Manhattan and has children in the Downtown Little League, is a likely guest. There will be a carnival on Warren Street, weather permitting. Games will start at 9 a.m. on the south field and at 10 a.m. on the north field. Softball games start at 12 p.m. on the north field. More than 1,000 players are enrolled in the Downtown Little League. They range in age from 5 to 17. The Downtown Little League catchment area is defined as south of Canal Street, west of Bowery down to the Brooklyn Bridge and west of the FDR south of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Fulton Stall Outdoor Market opens for the season: On Sunday, April 10, the Fulton Stall Outdoor Market will host its opening day celebration with food producers, live music and tastings of local craft food and drinks. This year, the market's opening day will coincide with a pop-up shop hosted by EscapeMaker.com, which will provide the opportunity to learn about travel opportunities to regional farms. This celebration is also an opportunity to experience the Seaport District's art installation, featuring portraits of over 100 farmers and chefs living and working in the Hudson Valley. Place: The corner of Fulton and Water Streets and inside Fulton Stall Market at 207A Front St. Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Free business counseling: The Small Business Development Center at Pace University's Lubin School of Business (Pace SBDC) offers free business counseling to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Services include helping to access financing, develop business plans and financial projections, identify government procurement opportunities and come up with strategies for increasing sales (particularly for minority and women-owned businesses). Pace SBDC advisors can also guide entrepreneurs through the process of forming their legal structure as well as provide demographic, economic and other key market research. The service is both for new and for ongoing businesses. To set up a free appointment with a small business advisor, call (212) 618-6655 or click here.
Fireboat John J. Harvey gala: The fireboat John J Harvey is 85 years old this year. At 130 feet and 268 gross tons, she is among the most powerful fireboats ever in service, capable of pumping up to 18,000 gallons of water a minute. Harvey assisted during such notable fires as the Cunard Line pier fire in 1932, the burning of the Normandie in 1942, and the ammunition ship El Estero during World War II. She served the FDNY until her retirement in 1994. On September 11, 2001, John J. Harvey was reactivated as FDNY Marine 2. Alongside FDNY fireboats Firefighter and John D. McKean, she pumped water for 80 hours, until water mains were restored. On May 3, celebrate Harvey's 85th birthday with an evening of music, cocktails and a buffet dinner with a selection of Firehouse Chilis, plus an exploration of the history of the New York Fire Department. Place: New York City Fire Museum, 278 Spring St. (between Varick and Hudson Streets). Time: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $125. For more information and to buy tickets, click here. Community Convention: State Senator Daniel Squadron will be holding his 8th Annual Community Convention on Sunday, May 15 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at PS 124, The Yung Wing School, 40 Division St. (between Bowery and Market). The convention will be an opportunity to raise issues important to residents of the 26th Senate District, which Squadron represents. Subway: F to East Broadway, 6/J/N/Q/R/Z to Canal, or B/D to Grand Street. To register, click here.
Youth Open Mic Night: Open Mic Night at Manhattan Youth on April 22 will give teens, ages 12 to 16, an opportunity to perform their own work or work they love accompanied by professional musicians. Place: Manhattan Youth Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren St. Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Free. RSVP is required along with parental permission. For more information about the Friday night programming at Manhattan Youth, click here. To make a reservation for Open Mic Night, email Camille@ManhattanYouth.org or call (212) 766-1104, ext. 299.
Memorial services for Peter Stanford: There will be a memorial for Peter Stanford on Saturday, April 16 at 2:30 p.m. at Trinity Wall Street, (Broadway at Fulton Street) followed by a reception from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the South Street Seaport's Melville Gallery, 213 Water
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Peter and Norma Stanford
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St. This is in addition to a memorial on April 9 at 11 a.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 85 Main St., Mount Kisco. (A Metro-North train goes from Grand Central Terminal to Mount Kisco. The trip takes an hour. The church is a short walk from the train station.) The Stanford family has asked that in lieu of flowers donations be sent to the National Maritime Historical Society and the South Street Seaport Museum. The National Maritime Historical Society is also requesting remembrances and photos for a feature on Peter Stanford for the next issue of Sea History. They can be emailed to nmhs@seahistory.org or mailed to 5 John Walsh Boulevard, PO Box 68, Peekskill New York 10567.
Unclaimed funds in New York: The New York State Comptroller's Office reports that it is holding nearly $14 billion in unclaimed money for New York residents who may have been charged superfluous fees or overpaid a bill, among other reasons for the money to end up in that office. Manhattan has the largest number of unclaimed funds in the New York area with just over 1.5 million potential cases. To search the comptroller's database and verify if you have unclaimed funds, click here or call (800) 221-9311 for more information. Disposing of electronic waste: New York State and City laws require the safe disposal of electronic waste (such as cellphones, computers and television sets) so that it doesn't end up in landfill. Most electronics can't be discarded through regular curb-side pick ups. The Lower East Side Ecology Center has a warehouse in Gowanus where electronic waste can be dropped off. In addition, the Lower East Side Ecology Center has rotating monthly recycling events in various city neighborhoods. For a calendar of its April recycling events, click here. The New York City Department of Sanitation offers a free recycling service for apartment buildings with more than 10 units. For information on how to enroll, call (212) 437-4647. Finally, many manufacturers offer drop off or mail-back options. For a list of manufacturers registered in New York State, go to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website by clicking here. If a manufacturer on the list refuses to accept your electronics, notify the Department of Environmental Conservation by calling (800) 847-7332.
Basketball clinic: Under the auspices of Battery Park City Parks, during spring break (April 25-April 29), there will be a basketball clinic at the Stuyvesant High School Community Center. Instructors Jamel Thomas and Louis Frye will teach new skills and techniques. Place: 345 Chambers St. Times: 4 p.m.-5 p.m. (ages 10 to 13); 5:15 p.m.-6:45 p.m. (ages 14 to 17). Fee: $250 (ages 10 to 13); $300 (ages 14-17). Registration is required before April 18. For more information and to register, call (212) 267-9700 or click here.
American Red Cross Lifeguard Certification Training: A 40-hour course given at the Stuyvesant High School Community Center meets New York State Health Department regulations for life guards and includes CPR/AED and first-aid skills. Participants must be at least 15 years old by April 25, 2016. Place: Stuyvesant High School, 345 Chambers St. Dates: April 25-April 29, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cost: $425; $400 (Community Center members); $375 (students). For information and to register, call (212) 267-9700 or click here.
Battery Park City Authority Town Meeting: On April 13, the Battery Park City Authority will host its next Community Meeting to provide updates on Battery Park City initiatives and to solicit feedback from the public. All are encouraged to attend. Future meetings are currently scheduled for July 20 and Nov. 16, 2016. Place: 6 River Terrace. Time: 6 p.m.
Sailors Ball tickets on sale: The annual Sailors Ball is a black-tie party that celebrates the start of a new sailing season and raises funds for the Manhattan Yacht Club's junior sailing programs. This year, the ball will take place at the Down Town Association, 60 Pine St., on April 29. Regular ball tickets (with an open bar, finger food, dancing and casino games) cost
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Guests at the 2015 Sailors Ball.
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$95 before April 26 and $120 afterward. VIP ball tickets cost $250 and include the 12 Meter Dinner from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and admission to the Ball. In addition there are raffle tickets whose proceeds support junior sailing. The raffle prizes include a place on board the historic America II during the America's Cup World Series in New York Harbor, Saturday May 7. (America II competed in the 1987 America's Cup, so this is a rare circumstance where a historic America's Cup boat will be in the same waters as the modern ones. Prize value $800) and two VIP tickets aboard the Arabella during the America's Cup World Series, Saturday May 7. The Arabella is the flagship of Manhattan Yacht Club and will be hosting its Club and special guests to watch this unique event with the most spectacular backdrop! Prize value $800.) Raffle tickets cost $20 (one ticket); $50 (three tickets); $100 (seven tickets). To buy tickets for the ball and the raffle, click here.
Free tax preparation: If you earned $62,000 or less in 2015, you may qualify for free tax preparation services, either via online filing or in person with a certified preparer. There are two ways to file your taxes safely and without charge: In person at your local free tax preparation site: For most sites, this service is offered to people with an annual income of $54,000 or less (with children) or $30,000 or less (no children). IRS certified preparers will help you claim credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and NYC Child Care Tax Credit (NYC CCTC) to get the full refund you deserve. Some sites let you drop off your tax documents and pick up the completed return later. There are more than 200 NYC Free Tax Prep sites in the city. In Lower Manhattan, this service is available through Beta Alpha Psi at Pace University, One Pace Plaza, 4th floor (call 212-618-6598 for more information) and at the New Amsterdam Library, 9 Murray St. (call 212-732-8186 for more information). For other free tax preparation sites, click here or call 311. Online filing is for people with an annual income of $62,000 or less. The online service is quick, easy and secure. Step-by-step instructions make it easy to claim credits like the EITC and NYC CCTC. Experts are available by phone to help with questions. For more information, go to nyc.gov/taxprep or call 311 and ask for tax preparation assistance.
5K Run/Walk and Community Day: Sign up now to participate in the National September 11 Memorial and Museum's 5K run/walk that will take place on Sunday, April 24, rain or shine. This is a "fun Run/Walk" for people connected with the memorial or who want to support it. The event will not be timed. It starts at Pier 26 in Hudson River Park, goes through Battery Park City along the Hudson River esplanade and ends at the 9/11 memorial with a free "Community Day." From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be activities for all ages, a kid zone, live music and opportunities to learn more about the memorial. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase. People with a 9/11 Memorial Run/Walk bib will get a 25 percent discount at the Memorial Museum ticket window if they want to visit the museum that day. To register and for more information, click here.
Luminaries: 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 proved so popular that it remained up until Feb. 29. For photographs of Luminaries, click here.
GrowNYC offers discounted farm-fresh produce: From now through May, residents and community members of all income levels can sign up for a bag of farm-fresh produce for $12 a bag. Cash, credit cards, debit cards, and SNAP (food stamps) can be used in payment. To participate, customers pre-order bags one week in advance of the designated distribution day. The next week, they can pick up their Fresh Food Box containing seven to nine seasonal fruits, vegetables, and grains, along with healthy recipes and tips on how to store and prepare the produce. All of the produce comes from family farms selling through GrowNYC's wholesale food hub and distribution arm, Greenmarket, Co. In Lower Manhattan, this service is available at 1 Centre St., 9th floor, South Building, Thursdays, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. through May 2016. For more information, 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.
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 April 12, 19 and 26; and May 3, 10, 17 and 24. To register for a tour, click here. SeaGlass Carousel: Following 10 years of design and fundraising and a setback named "Sandy," the SeaGlass Carousel in The Battery opened on Aug. 19, 2015 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 is open daily, weather permitting. For updates on changes to operating hours, follow The Battery Conservancy on Facebook. Admission to SeaGlass Carousel is $5 per ride. Access to The Battery is free and open to the public. 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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COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of April 11
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| | Real estate developer Larry Silverstein at the ribbon cutting for 4 World Trade Center on Nov. 13, 2013. Silverstein has a 99-year lease on Towers 2, 3 and 4 World Trade Center. On April 11, Community Board 1's Planning Committee will get an update on Silverstein Properties from Dara McQuillan, vice president of marketing and communications. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
All meetings of Community Board 1 take place in the conference room at 1 Centre St., Room 2202-A North, starting at 6 p.m. unless otherwise indicated. A photo ID is needed to enter the building.
April 11: Planning Committee
Location: Manhattan Borough President's Office
1 Centre St., 19th floor - Southside at 6 p.m.
* World Trade Center Quarterly Update - Glenn Guzzi, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
* Performing Arts Center World Trade Center - Presentation by Maggie Boepple, President
* Update by Silverstein Properties - Dara McQuillan, Vice President, Marketing & Communications
* Retail at World Trade Center Transportation Hub - Presentation by Michael McNaughton, SVP of Development, Westfield
* 9/11 Memorial & Museum - Update by TBD
* 375 Pearl St., notice of intent to acquire office space by Human Resources Administration - Presentation by Chris Flemming, Department of Citywide Administrative Services & resolution
* MTA subway connections at the World Trade Center - Presentation (INVITED)
April 12: Youth & Education Committee
* Public Advocate's Plan for Improving New York City's Commitment to Child Care Services - Presentation by Ed Sullivan, representative of Public Advocate Letitia James
* Breakfast in the Classroom - Presentation by Judy Villeneuve, Director of Operations Support, Deputy Chancellor's Office, Department of Education
* School Crossing Guard Letter from Assemblymember Deborah Glick - Discussion
April 13: Tribeca Committee
Location: Manhattan Borough Presidents' Office
1 Centre St., 19th floor - Southside at 6 p.m.
* 404 Broadway, application for liquor license for Chipotle Mexican Grill - Resolution
* Street Activity Permit application by Transportation Alternatives, October 5, 2016 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Beach Street between Collister and Greenwich Streets - Resolution
* 325 Broadway, application for restaurant wine and beer license for Wichcraft - Resolution
* Worth Street Reconstruction Project - Update
* The Flea Theater - Update by Carol Ostrow, Producing Director
* TD Five Borough Bike Tour temporary street closures - Presentation by Ken Podziba, President and Sharon Pope, Community Outreach/Strategic Planning Manager, Bike New York
* Street activity permit for Church Street School, Sunday, May 22, 2016 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Warren Street between West Broadway and Greenwich - Resolution
* JCP sidewalk Sukkah street activity permit application for Duane Street between Church Street and West Broadway, October 14, 2016 8 a.m. - Oct. 16, 2016 8 p.m. - Resolution
* 62 Thomas St., application for restaurant liquor license for Elmwood Venture LLC d/b/a Buddha Bar - Resolution
* 251 Church St., application for new sidewalk cafe at Two Hands Tribeca LLC - Resolution
* Street Activity Permit Office application by Community Board 1, July 14, 2016 Warren Street between Broadway and Church Street - Announcement
* Volunteer at the Hudson River Park Games on Saturday, May 21, 2016 - Announcement
The following notices have been received for renewal, upgrade, or transfer of wine and beer or liquor licenses or sidewalk cafe permits:
* 2 Avenue of the Americas, renewal of liquor license for Tribeca Grand Hotel
* 190A Duane Street, renewal application for a restaurant liquor license for Nonna Restaurant Corp. d/b/a Roc
* 114 Franklin St., application for renewal of liquor license for Tutto il Giorno
* 353 Greenwich St., Street, application for renewal of sidewalk cafe for MaryAnn's 353 Mex, Inc.
* 100 Lafayette St., application for renewal of liquor license for Santos Partyhouse
April 14: Landmarks Committee
* 11 Hubert St., application for additions to existing building - Resolution
* 70 Pine St., application for signage - Resolution
* Remembering Peter Stanford, founder of South Street Seaport Museum - Resolution
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CALENDAR: Weeks of April 3 and April 10
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| The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse is on Water Street in the South Street Seaport. It was erected in memory of the people who died on the Titanic when it sank on April 15, 1912. The South Street Seaport Museum is offering a walking tour of the Seaport on April 14, 15 and 16 to look at artifacts and places connected with the Titanic.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
April 9: The Municipal Art Society presents "Downtown New York: What's in a Name?" a tour with Joe Svehlak, who grew up in Lower Manhattan. During a two-hour walk, he will explain the origins of Broad Street, Stone Street, Water Street, Gold Street, the Battery, Maiden Lane and other downtown streets with historic names. He will also talk about issues of planning and preservation in New York's oldest and ever-changing neighborhood. Meeting place provided after tickets are purchased. Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Tickets: $30; $20 (MAS members). For more information and to buy tickets, click here or call (212) 935-2075, Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. April 10: The Museum of Jewish Heritage will commemorate the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda with a ceremony organized by the Rwandan community. Held annually at the Museum, this ceremony brings communities together to remember the atrocities of the past and look to the future. Place: 36 Battery Place. Time: 3 p.m. Free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. To register, click here. April 14: Take a 75-minute-long walking tour of the "Titanic's Seaport" with a guide from the South Street Seaport Museum. The tour commemorates the 104th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. Also, April 15 and April 16. Meet at the museum's main entrance, 12 Fulton St. Time: 12:15 p.m. Tickets: $25; $20 (museum members); $15 (children). For more information, email walkingtours@seany.org. To buy tickets, click here. April 14: Bruce Weber, curator of paintings and sculpture at the Museum of the City of New York, will lead a tour of the museum's exhibition "Picturing Prestige: New York Portraits, 1700-1860." The tour will focus on two of the exhibition's most prized portraits, depicting Moses and Grace Levy (who would have lived in what we now call "Lower Manhattan"). A leading member of New York City's small but influential 18th-century Jewish community, Moses Levy was a successful real estate investor, trader and owner of a fleet of merchant ships. Only around 800 colonial American portraits still exist today, and these two paintings, crafted by Gerardus Duyckinck around 1725, represent one of the oldest and rarest sets that remain in the country. Place: 1220 Fifth Ave. (at 103rd Street). Time: 1 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 (students and seniors); $10 (museum members). For more information and to buy tickets, click here. Through April 27: The National Museum of Immigration at Ellis Island is displaying 13 art
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Statue of Liberty quilt by Cynthia Levis.
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quilts created to celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service. The quilts were created by Fiber Works, a group of textile artists from the Lincoln-Omaha, Nebraska area. The artists were inspired by their favorite national park site. The quilts are on a year-long tour of the 13 chosen parks. For more information about the exhibition, click here.
Ongoing: "Street of Ships: The Port and Its People" in the South Street Seaport Museum's 12 Fulton St. lobby. The exhibition showcases works of art and artifacts from the museum's permanent collections related to the 19th century history of the Port of New York. The objects on display illuminate the Seaport's decisive role in securing New York City's place as America's largest city and the world's busiest port by the start of the 20th century. On view through 2016. Place: 12 Fulton St. Time: Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets: $12; $8 (seniors 65+, Merchant Mariners, Active Duty Military and students (with valid ID); $6 (kids, ages 6-17); free (children ages 5 and under). For more information or to reserve tickets, click here. Ongoing: "Rethinking Cities for the Age of Global Warming" is the title of the newest exhibition at the Skyscraper Museum. Of the world's 20 largest megacities - metropolitan areas with a population of 10 million or more - seven are located in the tropical countries and islands of Southeast Asia. WOHA - the practice begun in 1994 by architects Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell - has built extensively in the tiny city-state of Singapore, as well as in Bangkok, Mumbai, and other megacities in the region. WOHA proposes - and has built - tropical skyscrapers enveloped by nature and vertical villages with sky gardens, breezeways, and elevated parks. At a time when global warming threatens the future, the enlightened work of WOHA rethinks the urban environment, offering prototypes that use vertical density to create highly social, sustainable, and garden-filled cities. Through Sept. 4, 2016. Place: Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place. Museum open, Wednesday-Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Admission: $5; $2.50 (students and seniors). For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains" at the National Museum of the American Indian traces the evolution of the narrative art form from historic hides, muslins and ledger books to a selection of contemporary works by Native artists, the majority commissioned for this exhibition. Warrior-artists from the Native nations of North America's plains have long used pictures to depict visionary experiences and successes in battle and horse raiding. When the U.S. government enacted policies from 1870 to 1920 that forced Plains people to give up their traditions, drawings became a crucial means of addressing cultural upheaval. Since the 1960s, narrative artists have blended traditional and modern materials to depict everything from ceremonies and family histories to humor and contemporary life. Through Dec. 4, 2016. Place: 1 Bowling Green. The museum is open daily. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The exhibition, "New York's Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway," is playing at the Museum of the City of New York (definitely uptown - the museum is at 1220 Fifth Ave., at 103rd Street - but the subject matter recalls the downtown heyday of the Yiddish theater in New York City). New York's first Yiddish production was staged in 1882. In the ensuing decades, so many Yiddish theaters opened on Second Avenue between Houston Street and East 14th Street that the area was known as the "Yiddish Rialto." The exhibition features more than 250 artifacts, including photographs, costumes, playbills, sets, drawings, sculptures and film clips. Some of them came from the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City, now affiliated with Folksbiene, the National Yiddish Theatre - one of the co-presenters of the exhibition along with the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and the National Yiddish Book Center. Place: Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Chalsty's Caf� in the museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets: Suggested admission, $14; $10 (seniors and students with ID); free (under age 20 and members). For more information, click here.
Ongoing: In Atlanta, in 1915, Leo Frank became the only Jew ever lynched in the United States. He was accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl who worked at the pencil factory that he managed. His trial, murder and the aftermath are the subject of an exhibition, "Seeking Justice: The Leo Frank Case Revisited." Through Aug. 28, 2016. Place: Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place. Open Sunday to Friday (closed Saturdays). For more information, click here.
Ongoing: "Off the Wall" at the World Trade Gallery celebrates street art. Place: 120 Broadway (entrance on Cedar Street). The exhibition continues through April 12. The gallery is open daily. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: An exhibition entitled "Metamorphosis: The Collaboration of Poet Barbara Guest & Artist Fay Lansner" runs at Poets House through April 23, 2016. Beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the 1990s, this exhibition charts the creative collaboration and friendship between the New York School Poet Barbara Guest (1920- 2006) and painter Fay Lansner (1921-2010). Included in the exhibit are drawings, paintings, collages and portraits of Guest that depict the progressive transformation of the creative process. This is the first time that these works have been brought together in an exhibition. Place: 10 River Terrace. The exhibition is open during Poets House's regular hours. Free. 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 December 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. For a video related to the exhibition, 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: 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: "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.
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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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