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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC 
 
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
 
 
Volume 3, No. 20 April 23, 2016
IN THIS ISSUE

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Thanks for the heads up."
     - Anthony Notaro, chairperson of Community Board 1's Battery Park City Committee, replying to an email from the Battery Park City Authority that "as a safety precaution," Battery Park City parks would be removing the trash cans along the route of the September 11th Memorial's annual 5K Run/Walk as it traverses Battery Park City from Chambers Street to Wagner Park.

 
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. 

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MASTHEAD PHOTO: Second, third and fourth graders from three Lower Manhattan schools created a book of poetry called "New York City Poetry Picnic" and illustrated it with collages and drawings. April 21, 2016 (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) 

primaryHOW LOWER MANHATTAN VOTED IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION
Some Battery Park City voters on primary day, April 19. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

That Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary in New York State on April 19 is now old news. And it's also old news that Donald J. Trump won the Republican primary in New York State. But interestingly, he didn't win the Republican primary in Lower Manhattan.

According to The New York Times, John Kasich was the favorite of Republican voters in Lower Manhattan, garnering 499 votes - 44 percent of the total. Trump came in second with 485 votes (42.8 percent), while Ted Cruz was third with 149 votes (13.2 percent).

But these numbers are small compared with those for the Democrats. In Lower Manhattan, Hillary Clinton received 3,145 votes (63.7 percent of the total) and Bernie Sanders got 1,789 votes (36.3 percent).

To vote in the presidential primary, it was necessary to be registered for a political party. Crossover votes were not allowed and people registered as independents couldn't vote in the primary.

However, any registered voter could vote in the special election to replace Sheldon Silver in the 65th Assembly District. Alice Cancel, running on the Democratic line, got 7,284 votes (41.1 percent of the total). Yuh-Line Niou, running on the Working Families line, got 6,250 votes (35.3 percent). Lester Chang, a Republican, got 3,520 votes (19.9 percent) and Dennis Levy, running on the Green Party line, received 661 votes (3.7 percent).

That means that 17,715 people voted in this special election in the 65th Assembly District compared with 6,067 people in all of Lower Manhattan who voted in the presidential primary.

Although some Lower Manhattan poll workers said that there were longer lines to vote in this primary election than they could remember seeing in the past, the number of people who did take the time to vote was just a small percentage of those who would have been eligible.

The population of the area is around 68,000 people.

It would probably be accurate to infer that many Lower Manhattan voters were registered as independents, and therefore unable to vote in the presidential primary.

For information on how to register to vote in upcoming elections or to change party affiliation, click here.

- Terese Loeb Kreuzer




trashBATTERY PARK CITY DIARY: MISSING TRASH CANS  
Trash cans in Battery Park City. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
 
On Apr 22 at 4:43 p.m., Nicholas Sbordone, who recently replaced Robin Forst as director of communications and public affairs at the Battery Park City Authority, sent an email to Anthony Notaro and Ninfa Segarra, chairperson and vice chairperson respectively of Community Board 1's Battery Park City Committee.

Good afternoon. Just a quick reminder that the 9/11 Memorial's annual 5K Run/Walk & Community Day is happening this Sunday, April 24th. It begins at 8:00 a.m. that morning up at Pier 26, and the Battery Park City portion of the race begins as the participants enter BPC on the esplanade behind Stuyvesant High School. They will stay on esplanade all the way to the South Cove, make a right, cut through Wagner Park using [the] path behind [the] Jewish Museum, exiting at Battery Place, and then proceed up Greenwich Street to the finish. The race's full path is outlined on the 9/11 Memorial's website, here. All told the participants (runners and walkers both) should be through and out of BPC by 9:15/9:30 a.m. or so.
 
I'm emailing a heads-up that as a safety precaution, BPC Parks will be removing the trash receptacles along the race route Saturday evening (same as we did last year). We're looking at approximately 30 receptacles in all, and they will be replaced by Parks as soon as the race completes Sunday AM - by mid-morning at the latest.
 
Thank you very much and have a nice weekend. Please get me here with any questions you have.
 
Sincerely-

Nicholas T. Sbordone
Director of Communications & Public Affairs
Battery Park City Authority

At 7:32 a.m. on April 23, Anthony Notaro replied to this email, copying all of the members of Community Board 1's Battery Park City Committee and Catherine McVay Hughes, chairperson of Community Board 1.

Thanks for the heads up...A

Anthony Notaro, Jr.

At 12:27 p.m. on April 23, Tom Goodkind, a member of Community Board 1's Battery Park City Committee, sent his own email to Nicholas Sbordone.

Dear Mr. Sbordone,

OK - so we're having a big, well-publicized run through a residential neighborhood to commemorate a huge terrorist attack, early on a Sunday morning, before many of us are awake. And just in case the terrorists decide to attack the run through our homes, you're removing the trash cans.  Wow - what a great idea!  

So, if I walk my dog after being woken up by early morning anti-terrorist runners, I'll make sure to hold onto my dog's business for the entire walk because of the lack of trash cans, and in case of an attack during the run, which you have so perfectly prepared for by removing our trash cans, I will have my wife walk behind me, holding my ears.

As Anthony Notaro wrote, "thanks for the heads up."

One more thing: maybe next time we have a meeting addressing residential problems, one of which is having these constant weekend runs where you feel we could be attacked by terrorists, you and your friends should not only listen, but act on our concerns.

- Tom Goodkind and family
375 South End Avenue
Battery Park City



junctionTRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL: PRIZE-WINNING 'JUNCTION 48' LIMNS PALESTINIAN LIFE IN THE GHETTO OF THE ISRAELI CITY OF LOD  
   
Samar Qupty as Manar and Tamer Nafar as Kareem in JUNCTION 48.
(Photo: Amnon Zalait)


"Junction 48," which won a prize as the Best International Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, is the disturbing story of Palestinian life in the ghetto of the mixed Jewish-Arab city of Lyd, near Tel Aviv. "Lyd" is the Palestinian name for the city. The Israelis call it "Lod."

According to notes for the film, "In 1948, tens of thousands of Palestinians were exiled from Lyd in order to resettle the town with Jews. The Palestinian citizens of Israel are often referred to as '48ers.'"

By whatever name, poverty, crime and police brutality in this ghetto are rampant. Two young hip-hop artists - Kareem (played by Tamer Nafar) and Manar (Samar Qupty) - try to use music as a way to overcome the bleakness of their surroundings - but Manar is thwarted by her conservative family, which threatens to "harm her" if she persists.

The film, which was funded by Israelis, Palestinians and Germans, is an indictment of conservative Palestinian norms and of Israeli indifference and oppression. "Junction 48" seethes with anger, brutality and injustice. Anything can happen at any moment to end hope and even life. That is hard to watch and harder to contemplate because there seem to be no ready answers.

The director, Udi Aloni, describes himself as an Israeli-American. He dedicated the film to his late mother, Shulamit Aloni, who, he says in the notes, "fought all her life to make Israel and Palestine a better place to live in."

Though "Junction 48" is a work of fiction, it was inspired by the real experiences of leading actor and co-writer Tamer Nafer, who started the Arab hip-hop scene in 2000. He has always lived in Lyd.

This is a difficult film to watch. It is well made and well acted but claustrophobic, like life in any ghetto must be, and sad. It seems unlikely that there can be a happy ending - at least not anytime soon - only more misery and struggle.

The film ends with Manar, looking beautiful in a red dress, standing by an open window in her home. She is not on stage with Kareem, where she was supposed to be that night.

Is that a resolution? No. It is only a pause. A comment.

- Terese Loeb Kreuzer


Bits & Bytes
streepGLASSY, 60-STORY CONDO COMING TO SEAPORT; PRICE CHOPS ON TWO TRIBECA APARTMENTS; YOUNG MERYL STREEP ON FRANKLIN ST.  
Stores in the building at 67 Wall St., which has just been sold along with a neighboring building at 63 Wall St. for more than $430 million. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
 
"Court proposes long sentence for Sheldon Silver but prosecutors want much more," Crain's New York Business, 4/20/16. According to Crain's New York Business, "Prosecutors urged a judge Wednesday to set an example by sending Sheldon Silver to prison for substantially more than a decade, saying the former New York Assembly speaker corrupted the institution he led for over two decades and caused 'immeasurable damage' to the democratic process and public trust as he bartered his power to earn $5 million illegally." U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni is scheduled to sentence Silver on May 3. Defense attorneys for the 72-year-old disbarred lawyer said their client deserved leniency. They said if he serves any prison time, it should be small, and that his good deeds-as well as his age, health and often honorable record-should overshadow his conviction last year." For the complete article, click here.

"Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin's Tribeca Penthouse Is Now $2M Less," Curbed.com, 4/20/16. "It's only been a little more than a month since Goop mastermind Gwyneth Paltrow and her ex-husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, first listed their Tribeca condo," says Curbed.com. "But apparently it's not moving quickly enough for the consciously uncoupled couple: Real Estate Weekly reports that the three-bedroom apartment has gotten a price chop, going from $14.25 million to $12.85 million." For the complete article, click here.

"The tragic romance that shaped Meryl Streep's life," New York Post, 4/23/16. "In 1978, a young Meryl Streep was on the verge of becoming the greatest actress of her generation. She was also about to lose the love of her life," says the New York Post. 'She doesn't talk about it much,' says Michael Schulman, who explores this time in his new biography 'Her Again.' 'But that year was so wildly eventful and dramatic in her life. It was instrumental in shaping who she was as a person and an actor.' Streep was 29 years old, a gosling in the New York theater world. She was living in a loft on Franklin Street with her boyfriend, actor John Cazale. He was 14 years her senior and a legend among his peers." For the complete article, click here.

"A Glassy Condo at South Street Seaport," New York Times, 4/22/16. "The 19th-century red-brick buildings that define South Street Seaport are about to get a new neighbor: a 60-story glassy condominium," says The New York Times. "Currently called 1 Seaport, the 80-unit tower, which is being developed by the Fortis Property Group at Maiden Lane and South Street, is tall, slender and swathed in windows for an icicle-like look, which also puts it at odds with the growing ranks of condos with more masonry in their facades. But 1 Seaport, which is not in a historic district, seeks to make the most of its unusual site near the East River. Floor-to-ceiling windows occupy what seems like every wall in the building, so no panorama goes to waste." For the complete article, click here.

"Wolf of Wall Street Character's Tribeca Pad Returns For $20M Off Original Ask," Curbed.com, 4/19/16. "Banker-turned-entrepreneur-and-semi-professional-racecar-driver Alan Wilzig has relisted his Tribeca maisonette yet again-this time for $20 million less than its initial ask," says Curbed.com. "If Wilzig's name sounds familiar, here's why: he was portrayed in Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street as the bit guy who introduces Leonardo DiCaprio's character to the woman who becomes his wife. Unsatisfied with his storyline in the movie, Wilzig took to Facebook to '[criticize] Scorsese for leaving out the fact that Wilzig had arrived at the party in his red Ferrari Testarossa' (per TRD). With all that in mind, let's take another look at Wilzig's 6,500-square-foot Hubert Street maisonette. The interiors have been toned down by 10,000 percent since the listing first appeared in 2014 at an ask of $44 million." For the complete article, click here.

"Two huge Wall Street residences sold for $430M," New York Post, 4/19/16. "Two of the largest Wall Street residential conversions with a total of 810 apartments are now in contract to Rockpoint Group for well over $430 million, or roughly $545,000 per unit," says the New York Post. "The buildings at 63 and 67 Wall St. comprise a full block in the center of Lower Manhattan and are bounded by Beaver and Hanover streets. Now known as The Crest, The Wall and Hanover Building at 63 Wall was designed by Delano & Aldrich and built in 1928 as the headquarters for Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. The adjoining 67 Wall was developed in 1921 for Munson Shipping Company on a site that once housed Alexander Hamilton's offices." For the complete article, click here.




Downtown bulletin board
stockingsSTOCKINGS WITH CARE BENEFIT CONCERT; MANHATTAN YOUTH VOLLEYBALL; LMCC OPEN STUDIOS WITH ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
Artists with grants for working space from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council sometimes open their studios to the public. This artist had a studio on Governors Island. On April 29 and April 30, artists with LMCC workspace at 28 Liberty St. will be opening their studios to the public. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

Stockings With Care benefit concert: Stockings With Care, a charity founded by Battery Park City resident Rosalie Joseph to provide December holiday gifts for homeless and other at-risk children, will be the beneficiary of Bankrupt Talent's 8th Annual Rock 'n Roll Charity Concert on May 11. Place: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleeker St. Time: 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $35 (in advance); $45 (at the door). For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

School Holiday Camp at Manhattan Youth: From April 25 to April 29, Manhattan Youth is running a full-day camp (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) at the Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren St., and at PS 89 for K-5 graders. Facilities include a full gym, theater, cafeteria, schoolyard, art room, dance studio, library and classrooms. Students are grouped by grade and spend the day playing sports in the gym and games in the yard, swimming in the pool, cooking in the kitchen, experimenting in the science room, improvising and singing in the dance room, and working in the art and ceramics rooms. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are provided. Tuition for one to three days is $100 per day. For four or more days, it's $85 per day, with a discount of 10 percent for Downtown Community Center members. For more information and to register, click here or call (212) 766-1104, ext. 259.

LMCC Open Studios with Workspace Artists-in Residence: The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) provides free workspace for artists in a variety of media including painting, sculpture, performance and writing. On Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30, the current group of artists will open their studios to the public. Place: 28 Liberty St. (the former One Chase Manhattan Plaza where corporate offices on the 19th floor have been repurposed into a space for artists). Time: April 29: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 30: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (visual arts). 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. (readings by poets, playwrights, novelists and other artists). Free. Reservations are required. To reserve, click here.

Manhattan Youth's 2016 Downtown Community Awards: Manhattan Youth will honor Catherine McVay Hughes on May 12 for her leadership as chair of Community Board 1 and for her dedication to issues such as community resilience, land use and overall services. Twenty students who have participated in Manhattan Youth's Community Service Program
will also be honored. They have contributed to community endeavors during Manhattan Youth's After-School programs, environmental cleanup and overall advocacy. Place: Manhattan Youth Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren St. Time: 7 p.m. Tickets (to cover the cost of refreshments), $12. To buy tickets, click here.

Manhattan Youth volleyball: On Friday nights, Manhattan Youth offers beach volleyball instruction and games on Pier 25 in Hudson River Park for kids from grades 5 to 12. The Volleyball League runs from May 13 to July 25. Fifth to eighth graders play from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. while ninth through 12th graders play from 7:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. The program is free for Downtown Community Center members. The fee for non-members is $35. For more information, email Marshal Coleman at mc@marshalcoleman.com. To register, click here.

Free sailing: Every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., May through October, Offshore Sailing is offering a free one-hour sail for New York City residents with a valid New York City ID. The boats leave from North Cove Marina at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City. There is a limit of one free sail per person per season. All who participate must be be 18+ years old or 7-17 years of age with a parent/guardian. Spots are limited - only 10 are available each day, so advance reservations are necessary. To reserve, click here. For information about the Offshore Sailing School's sailing programs for adults, families and kids, email Meg@offshoresailing.com.

Downtown Boathouse kayaking season: The Downtown Boathouse season of free kayaking will open at Pier 26 (on the Hudson River at North Moore Street) on Saturday, May 21. On weekends and holidays through Oct. 10, the hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last boat going out a half hour before closing time. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from June 15 to Sept.15, the boathouse will be open from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. In addition to Pier 26, the Downtown Boathouse runs a free public kayaking program on Governors Island, with details about the plans for this season yet to be announced. For information about how to become a volunteer for the Downtown Boathouse, click here.

Reduced fees at Stuyvesant High School Community Center: All-access memberships in the Community Center at Stuyvesant High School (CCSHS) at 345 Chambers St. will now cost $199 for adults (ages 18-61), down from $525. For Battery Park City residents, the price will be $179. For seniors, youth (17 and under) and for members of the military, all-access annual membership is now $79, down from $150 for seniors and $100 for youth. Military membership pricing is being offered for the first time. Battery Park City residents in these categories will pay $59 annually for an all-access membership. Day passes will continue to cost $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and youth, with a first-time $10 day pass option now available for military members. Beginning May 1, annual membership and day pass purchases will include free access to many classes and programs at the community center. Upcoming classes and programs include group swim lessons for children and adults, tennis clinics, yoga, badminton, total body boxing, the BPC Running Club, and more. The Community Center at Stuyvesant High School is operated by the Parks Programming department of the Battery Park City Authority. The community center is open seven days a week when classes at the high school are not in session. For full membership options or to join CCSHS email  ccshs@bpcparks.org or call (212) 267-9700. For more information, 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.

Contributions for earthquake victims in Ecuador and Japan: The Financial District Lions Club is helping to collect money for earthquake victims in Ecuador and Japan. Send contributions to the Lions Clubs International Foundation. For more information, click here.

Contributions in memory of Peter Stanford: Peter Stanford, founder and first president of the South Street Seaport Museum and the second president of the National Maritime Historical Society, died on March 24 at the age of 89. 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.

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.

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 $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.

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 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.


Letter to the editor 
obitTHE NEW YORK TIMES' BEST OBITUARY WRITER EVER   
 
A glimpse of an old file in The New York Times morgue. (Photo: Ben Wolf)

To the editor:
(Re: Tribeca Film Festival: 'Obit', DPNYC, 4/19/16.) The Tribeca Film Festival's movie "Obit" about The New York Times obituary page, seems to have ignored what might have been The Times' greatest obituary contributor: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Tim Weiner. In a discussion with Mr. Weiner and a group of other journalist friends, many of whom had so much shrapnel in them covering foreign wars that they couldn't get through airport metal detectors, Tim revealed that he had enough of war correspondence for the Times and was going to work obituaries. We all thought he was mad, until we saw his New York Times Art Buchwald obit in 1997. It is innovative. It is brilliant. Here it is.  It is titled, "I just died." 

http://www.nytimes.com/video/obituaries/1194817093353/i-just-died.html

We all agreed that it was, hands down, the best obit ever written.

A full discussion of New York Times obits simply isn't complete without a mention of Tim's amazing contribution. His interview with Art Buchwald was the first in the filmed obituaries that live on in the Times' remarkable series, "The Last Word."

Tom Goodkind

From the editor:
We welcome letters to the editor. Email them to editor@downtownpostnyc.com. We reserve the right to edit them for clarity and length.




cupAMERICA'S CUP COMING TO NEW YORK HARBOR ON MAY 7 AND MAY 8 
The America's Cup trophy. (Photo: Rob Tringali)

The sailing season on the Hudson River will have barely begun when the America's Cup World Series arrives in town. On Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8, the world's best sailors racing the fastest boats will compete for points that count toward the final competition for the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda in 2017.
 
On both days, the epicenter of the race festivities will be Battery Park City and the Brookfield Place North Cove Marina. All races will finish just off the plaza, which will be home to one central event village.

The Competition Six teams, each sailing on behalf of a home country (defending champion Oracle Team USA, Emirates Team New Zealand, Land Rover BAR for Great Britain, Artemis Racing for Sweden, SoftBank Team Japan, and Groupama Team France) will compete in the New York race.

All six teams will race against one another at the same time, in a fleet racing format. Racing will take place from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  Weather will determine the exact race course as well as the total number of races per day (up to a maximum of three). A New York champion will be crowned on Sunday, May 8, after the final race.

The event village at the Brookfield Place Waterfront Plaza will be open on both days of the race from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with entertainment, food vendors, sponsor activity and hospitality, all free to the public.

The main stage will host music and performances, including the "Dock Out" show, during which fans can hear from each team's skipper before they head out to race, and the awards ceremony on Sunday. Spectators watching from the event village will also be able to see a broadcast of the race on big screens in the plaza with an announcer calling the race live over a speaker system.

The race and event village are free and open to the public with no tickets required.

For those who can't make it to the race in person, Saturday's races will air live on NBC Sports Live Extra, and Sunday's races will air on NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra at 2 p.m. ET.

 

communityCOMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of April 25     
The ferry to Governors Island leaves from the Battery Maritime Building. Community Board 1's full board meeting on April 26 will be held at the ferry terminal.
(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 25: Nominating Committee
* Selection of Committee Chair
* Discussion of Candidates for Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer
* Set date of next meeting

April 25: Personnel Committee - 6:30 p.m.
* Agenda to be determined

April 26: CB 1 Monthly Meeting - 6 p.m.
        Location:  Governors Island Ferry Terminal
                        10 South St.
                        Waiting Room at the Terminal (street level/ground floor)   


calendarCALENDAR: Week of April 24

Paintings by Fay Lanser on display at Poets House depict Lansner's friend, poet Barbara Guest, and are riffs on some of Guest's poetry. The exhibition closes on
April 30. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
 

April 24: An afternoon-long remembrance of the Easter Rising of 1916 that resulted in the creation of the Republic of Ireland will begin at 11 a.m. with a ceremony in Wagner Park, with speeches, flags lowered to half mast and somber music in honor of those who died to achieve Irish independence from Great Britain. It will be followed by a five-hour celebration of Irish music, drama and culture. A succession of Irish musicians will play in Wagner Park. At neighboring Pier A, there will be films, lectures, theatrical performances, poetry reading and more music. The South Street Seaport Museum's schooner Lettie G. Howard will be docked outside Pier A. Lettie and her crew will be demonstrating some of the aspects of the educational sail training that takes place on the Lettie - a prototype for what is planned by the Atlantic Youth Trust, a charity that will build a tall ship with the goal of bringing young people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland together on youth development voyages. Place: Wagner Park and Pier A at the southern end of Battery Park City. Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.

April 28: Learn about "The Secret Life of the Brooklyn Bridge" on a walking tour with a guide from the South Street Seaport Museum. Beneath its elegant and restrained exterior, the Brooklyn Bridge holds many secrets. Hear the stories of the bridge's remarkable builders and the quirky life of this enigmatic structure. (Note: this walking tour does not go across the Brooklyn Bridge.) Also, May 12, May 19 and May 26. Registration is required. Place: Meet at the South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton St. Time: 12:15 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 (seniors and museum members); $10 (children). For tickets, click here.

April 29: The South Street Seaport and the area immediately north of it are decorous now compared with what they used to be. Take a walking tour of the "wicked 4th Ward" with a guide from the South Street Seaport Museum. Home to eccentric and dangerous characters, the Fourth Ward was the city's district of vice and crime. Tours meet at the Museum's main entrance (12 Fulton St.) and will last approximately 75 minutes. E-mail walkingtours@seany.org for more information. Also May 13, May 20 and May 27. Time: 12:15 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 (seniors and museum members); $10 (children). For tickets, click here.

April 30: The National Museum of the American Indian will be holding its annual Children's Festival with games of skill, art projects, storytelling, dancing and more. Also, May 1. Place: 1 Bowling Green. Time: Noon to 5 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.

Through April 30: An exhibition entitled "Metamorphosis: The Collaboration of Poet Barbara Guest & Artist Fay Lansner" runs at Poets House through April 30. 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.

Through April 30: Australian artist Amanda Parer's North American tour of Intrude, a public art installation, features monumental rabbits - five two-story rabbits and two four-story "XL" rabbits, commissioned by Arts Brookfield. Each rabbit is sewn in nylon and internally lit. The rabbits have been installed on Brookfield Plaza (at North Cove Marina), in the Winter Garden and in the shopping mall.

Through April 27: The National Museum of Immigration at Ellis Island is displaying 13 art 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: "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.

Nearby attractions:
April 30-May 1: The 35th annual Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri) at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, is centered by 220 cherry trees in full bloom. In addition, there are an array of events and activities celebrating Japanese culture including traditional Japanese music and dance, taiko drumming, martial arts, bonsai-pruning workshops, tea ceremonies and manga art. Transportation from Lower Manhattan: The 2, 3, 4, 5, N and R trains stop near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Place: Several entrances, including one at 150 Eastern Parkway. Open on weekends: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets for the Sakura Matsuri Festival: $25; $20 (seniors and students). For more information, click here.
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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer

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