|
DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
|
|
|
|
Volume 3, No. 26 May 28, 2016
|
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Garbage and rodent sighting complaints were ranked on a complaint per square mile basis while noise was ranked according to complaints per 1,000 residents."
- From an article in Curbed.com explaining the protocol behind a survey of complaints phoned into 311, neighborhood by neighborhood, in Lower Manhattan.
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: USS Bataan (LHD 5), a multipurpose amphibious U.S. Navy assault ship, heading up the Hudson River at the start of Fleet Week. May 25, 2016
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
|
 FLEET WEEK IN NEW YORK CITY, 2016: PARADES, MUSIC,
CEREMONIES, A REGATTA AND THE STORIES BEHIND THE SHIPS
|
| | The USS Bataan, a multipurpose amphibious assault ship, heading up the Hudson River on May 25 at the start of Fleet Week. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
It would be difficult to be unaware that this is Fleet Week in New York City. Huge, gray military vessels are docked in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island. There are flyovers and parades and commemoration ceremonies, music festivals and band concerts, a search and rescue demonstration, a regatta, and more. Men and women in spotless white uniforms stand out like beacons as they walk the city streets, taking in the sights.
On the morning of May 31, Fleet Week will be over and the ships will depart. Before then, the
|
|  | |
HMCS Athabaskan (DDG 282) is an Iroquois-class destroyer that has served in the Royal Canadian Navy since 1972. Among other assignments, she was one of three ships representing Canada in the Persian Gulf conflict. She was also sent to Louisiana to help with disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.
| |
public can tour them. In Manhattan, the USS Bataan (LHD 5) is docked at Pier 88S; the HMCS Athabaskan (D 282), the HMCS Kingston (MM 700) and the HMCS Moncton (MM 708) are at Pier 92S and USNA Yard Patrols and USCGC Katherine Walker (WLM 552) are at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86N.
These ships have dramatic histories, in war and peace. Take the USS Bataan, for instance. It's a multipurpose amphibious assault ship that can carry around 3,200 crew members plus other military personnel. For combat support, as well as non-combatant evacuation and other humanitarian missions, the USS Bataan has hospital facilities second only to the Navy's hospital ships, including six fully equipped medical operating rooms, and hospital facilities that can care for as many as 600 patients.
On Aug. 30, 2005, USS Bataan was the first ship on the scene after Hurricane Katrina, a category 4 hurricane, made landfall on the Gulf Coast the previous day. During the next 19 days, USS Bataan moved more than 1,600 people to safety and delivered more than 160,000 pounds of supplies to the Gulf Coast states.
In January 2010, USS Bataan went to Haiti after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the island nation. Bataan's Navy/Marine Corps Team established nine landing zones to facilitate aid distribution, ultimately moving more than 1,000 pallets of relief supplies ashore and treating close to 1,000 Haitians both aboard Bataan in the ship's medical facility and working side-by-side with local and volunteer physicians at clinics throughout Haiti.
USS Bataan has also been involved in rescues at sea. On March 8, 2015, Bataan rescued two Turkish mariners from their sinking cargo ship in the Aegean Sea. On June 6, Bataan rescued 282 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea after their small vessel sank.
The USS Bataan takes its name from the valiant resistance of American and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula in the early days of World War II. Fighting on the Philippine Islands of Luzon and Corregidor began just 10 hours after the raid on Pearl Harbor. After weeks of Japanese air raids and beach landings on the north of Luzon, on Dec. 23, 1941, Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered withdrawal from the fortified north to the narrow jungle peninsula. There, combined Army, Navy, Marine Corps and American-trained Filipino forces opposed the Japanese aggressors.
Despite rampant disease, malnutrition, insufficient supplies and ammunition, they defended the peninsula until April 16, 1942. Corregidor fell shortly after on May 6, 1942. During combat, more than three-quarters of the men in some units were killed. Tens of thousands of American service members died either in battle or during the "Bataan Death March." The 65-mile "Death March" alone killed more than 21,000 allies in less than a week and is regarded as one of the greatest tragedies of World War II. Two of every three Americans who defended Bataan and Corregidor never returned home.
The USS Bainbridge, a guided-missile destroyer in the U.S. Navy, is another ship that has seen
|
| | |
USS Bainbridge
| |
its share of drama. The Bainbridge, which is docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal for Fleet Week, was named in honor of Commodore William Bainbridge who, as commander of the frigate USS Constitution, distinguished himself in the War of 1812.
Since her commissioning in 2005, Bainbridge has been active in the Mediterranean Sea but most of the attention she has garnered has been as a result of the failed hijacking attempt of the U.S.-flagged freighter MV Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates in April 2009, which ended with the release of the vessel's master Captain Richard Phillips on April 12, 2009.
After crewmen of the captured cargo vessel managed to retake the ship, the pirates retreated, taking the ship's master hostage in a lifeboat. Bainbridge, USS Halyburton and USS Boxer shadowed the pirates, and with FBI assistance, attempted negotiations for the safe return of the captive captain until U.S. Navy Seal snipers resolved the situation with deadly force. The story of this incident was turned into the 2013 motion picture titled Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks.
For the complete Fleet Week schedule, click here.
|
DINE AROUND DOWNTOWN FOOD FEST RETURNS TO LIBERTY PLAZA
|
| | Chefs from MarkJoseph Steakhouse in the South Street Seaport cooking hamburgers at Dine Around Downtown. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Dine Around Downtown returns to 28 Liberty Plaza on June 8 - a thrill for foodies who haven't had the time to sample all or even most of Lower Manhattan's ever-expanding list of first-rate restaurants. There will be more than 45 restaurants selling their tempting wares between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the landmarked plaza at the corner of Nassau and Liberty Streets. Once home to the Chase Manhattan Bank, it now belongs to Fosun Property, which is presenting Dine Around Downtown in collaboration with the Alliance for Downtown New York. This is the 15th year for the festival, which last year drew around 15,000 people. Alex Guarnaschelli, celebrity chef, cookbook author and Food Network star, will host the event. The National Jazz Museum in Harlem All-Stars will provide music. Participating restaurants include: Adrienne's Pizza Bar; Amada; ATRIO Wine Bar and Restaurant; The Baily Pub and Restaurant; Barbalu; Battery Gardens; Bavaria Bier Haus; Beckett's Bar & Grill; Bill's Bar & Burger; Bobby Van's Steakhouse; The Capital Grille; Cowgirl Sea-Horse; Delivery Only; Delmonico's Restaurant; Dorlan's Tavern & Oyster Bar; The Dubliner; Eataly; Felice 15 Gold Street; Fresh Salt; The Growler Bites and Brews; Harry's Caf�; Harry's Italian; Haru Sushi; Jersey Mike's Subs; The Ketch Brewhouse; Le District; Mad Dog & Beans Mexican Cantina; The Malt House; Mark Joseph Steakhouse; Morton's The Steakhouse; Nelson Blue; Num Pang Sandwich Shop; OBAO Water Street; The Open Door Gastropub; Pier A Harbor House; Route 66 Smokehouse; Smorgas Chef; Stone Street Tavern; Stout FiDi; SUteiShi; Trinity Place; Ulysses' Folk House; Vintry Wine & Whiskey, and Wei West. Other community and cultural events on the 28 Liberty plaza include Sing for Hope Pianos, a yearly initiative that gathers local artists to create pianos that will be displayed on the plaza in June and then placed in public spaces for public use for 10 days before being donated to New York City public schools. The plaza also accommodates the annual arts festival, River To River, which has become a cornerstone of Lower Manhattan culture, providing an intense and rewarding way to experience the waterfronts, parks, plazas, hotels, historic landmarks, temporarily vacant office spaces, and other sites downtown.
|
 Receive a 10% discount on services booked that day. Mention Downtown Post NYC and receive an extra 5% off. |
|
|
|
|
|
Bits & Bytes
OCULUS OFFICIALLY OPENS; ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY FAILS TO DRAW EXPECTED CROWDS; GOVERNORS ISLAND PLAYGROUND OPENS
|
| South Cove in Battery Park City. A recent survey showed that Battery Park City was the Lower Manhattan neighborhood with the fewest garbage and rodent complaints to 311 and the second lowest downtown neighborhood for noise complaints.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Ranked: Lower Manhattan Neighborhoods With the Most 311 Complaints," Curbed.com, 5/26/16. "Lower Manhattan is filled with beautiful architecture, culture, and fascinating history that is constantly building upon itself. But as the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold," says Curbed.com. "A recent analysis, completed by RentHop, compiled 311 complaints in neighborhoods like East Village, Chinatown, West Village, Lower East Side, Battery Park City, and Soho/Tribeca/Civic Center/Little Italy. Garbage and rodent sighting complaints were ranked on a complaint per square mile basis while noise was ranked according to complaints per 1,000 residents. Garbage complaints were weighted heaviest and noise complaints the least, in terms of factoring them in overall. Good news first: Battery Park City-Lower Manhattan ranked lowest in complaints overall, with the lowest number of garbage and rodent gripes and the second lowest amount of noise complaints (Lower East Side had the lowest). Chinatown also ranked pretty low in noise complaints, having only 47.8 per 1000 residents putting them in place for the third lowest." For the complete article, click here. "Port Authority brass hold opening ceremony for Oculus," therealdeal.com, 5/27/16. "Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials brushed off widespread criticism of the $4 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub, finally throwing a party to celebrate its opening," says The Real Deal. "Officials held a ceremony Thursday afternoon to mark the completion of the long-delayed, comically over-budget public project. The party featured bagpipes, architect Santiago Calatrava, who designed the hub, and speeches from top Port Authority brass, Politico reported." For the complete article, click here. "3.3 Million Were Expected at Trade Center Attraction; a Million Haven't Shown Up," New York Times, 5/27/16. "In New York City, it seemed like you couldn't go wrong getting tourists' heads into the clouds. Especially if, like One World Observatory, you could boast the highest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, atop the newly built 1 World Trade Center," says The New York Times. "When the observatory complex opened last year on the top three floors of the new Lower Manhattan building, its operator, Legends, predicted that it would draw 3.3 million visitors annually. That was optimistic by a million. This week, the video wall in the Global Welcome Center, which displays a running tally of visitors, put the total number at just 2.3 million since the observatory opened on May 29, 2015." For the complete article, click here. "When New York Harbor Is the Endpoint of a 17-Day Sprint," New York Times, 5/27/16. "The Transat bakerly is a one-person-sailboat race from Plymouth, England, to New York City - 3,000-plus nautical miles across an often-unforgiving sea. Which is to say, it's a piece of cake for the first week. Then comes the second," says The New York Times. The Times quoted Thibaut Vauchel-Camus, 37, who said, "You're one week alone, you're tired, and now beginning the hard conditions." This was Vauchel-Camus' first year of competition in the race. He left "Plymouth at 2:30 p.m. on May 2 on what would be a 17-day-12-hour-and-42-minute sprint to victory in his class. His 40-foot-long boat, the Solidaires en Peloton-Arsep, was built more for speed than for comfort," says The Times. "He learned to sleep in intervals of about 20 minutes and - this being 2016 - to use his satellite Internet connection to upload selfies and videos of his exertions. Finally, after two and a half weeks, the New York skyline came into view." For the complete article, click here. "On Governors Island, Mountains of Junk Where Children Find Adventure," New York Times, 5/27/16. "On a recent sunny afternoon, a 6-year-old boy picked his way through a scrap heap on Governors Island," says The New York Times. "It contained old doors, shredded lawn chairs, a decrepit exercise bike and a bundle of metal crutches. At the center were a pile of tires and a few dozen planks, balanced precariously against a spiral column, like pickup sticks. ... This was not just any scrap heap awaiting a garbage truck or a bonfire, but the raw materials for Play:ground, an adventure playground opening this weekend on a long strip of lawn behind Building 12, a stately brick structure that once served as officers' quarters for the Army. Unlike conventional playgrounds, adventure playgrounds, which date to the 1940s, require only scavenged junk, some adults to look on and a fence - as much to keep parents out as to keep materials in. The children do the rest." For the complete article, click here.
|
|
Downtown bulletin board
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM'S SEAFARERS CAMP; FORT JAY'S EAGLE NEEDS RESTORATION FUNDS; FREE KAYAKING AND SAILING
|
| | A New York Harbor School student working in the rigging of the South Street Seaport Museum's Lettie G. Howard. This summer, the museum will offer a "Seafarers Camp" for teens aboard the Lettie G. Howard. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Seafarers Camp 2016: The South Street Seaport Museum 's 1893 fishing schooner, Lettie G. Howard, will serve as a camp for teens this summer. The week-long Seafarers Camp is for middle and high school students, who will acquire sailing and science skills, make friends and have fun aboard this historic, Coast-Guard certified tall ship. It will depart each week from Manhattan and sail into Long Island Sound where the teens will raise and handle sail, stand lookout, navigate and plot a course, steer the ship and sail through the night, taking their watch on deck. In the morning, they will anchor in a quiet harbor for a morning swim. The six-day voyages will depart every Sunday from July 3 through Aug. 26. Campers can sign up for one or more weeks. Cost: $1,250 per participant (covers all trip expenses). Group rates are available. Scholarships may be available based on financial need. For more information, email lettieghoward@seany.org or click here.
Fort Jay Troph�e d'Armes on Governors Island needs restoration funds: The sandstone eagle sculpture atop Fort Jay's monumental arch on Governors Island was designed by Joseph
|
| | |
Fort Jay on Governors Island dates from the late 18th century.
| |
Mangin, architect of New York's City Hall. It is a one-of-a-kind national treasure and work of art, but two centuries of water, ice and pollution have damaged this national symbol. The preservation of the eagle sculpture was selected to take part in a national competition run by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express, which will award grants to national parks in need of preservation. There are 20 parks competing, with just a quarter of the projects winning funding. A $245,000 grant from the competition would help restore the iconic eagle and stabilize the arch's deteriorating surfaces. Voting takes place between May 25 and July 5. The Friends of Governors Island is asking the public to vote once a day, every day to #SaveOurEagle at VoteYourPark.org/gois. After clicking to vote for Governors Island, you must scroll to the bottom of the voting site and click "Submit Votes" for your vote to be counted.
Smorgasburg returning to the South Street Seaport: Starting May 27, Smorgasburg will be back in the South Street Seaport for the third year. Vendors will be located inside the newly renovated Fulton Market building at 11 Fulton St., with indoor and outdoor seating. There will also be an outdoor bar. The food vendors will include El Tigre, Lumpia Shack, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Home Frite, Landhaus and Wowfulls. All will be open daily.
Minority and women-owned businesses get boost from New York City: Mayor Bill de Blasio has committed to awarding Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) $16 billion in contracts over the next 10 years. During FY 2015, the City awarded M/WBEs $1.6 billion and is on track to reach the $16 billion goal. There are now 4,454 M/WBEs in the City, a 21 percent increase since the start of De Blasio's administration. Free services are available to help strengthen certified M/WBE's including access to technical assistance, bonding, financing, teaming and mentorship. Firms interested in starting the M/WBE certification process or participating in M/WBE programming can learn more by calling 311, meeting with a client manager at one of the City's seven NYC Business Solution Centers (the Lower Manhattan center is at 79 John St., second floor) or by clicking here.
Manhattan Youth's Outdoor Adventure Summer Program: From Aug. 15 to Aug. 19, Manhattan Youth is offering a week-long sleepaway program for young people in grades 4 to 9 at the Appalachian Mountain Club's Outdoor Mohican Center in Blairstown, N.J. The program will include swimming, canoeing and kayaking, camping, day and night hikes, fishing, outdoor sports, evening campfires and more. Private transportation to and from the Mohican Outdoor Center will be provided. The center is a 90-minute drive from New York City located on 70,000 acres in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The program costs $945, however any child previously or currently enrolled in Manhattan Youth's Downtown Day Camp or After School Outdoor Adventure Program will receive a discount of $100. There is an additional $100 discount for siblings. For more information, email Yessenia Chimelis at yessenia@manhattanyouth.org or call (212) 766-1104, ext. 303.
Public hearings on proposed rent increases: The Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) is voting at the end of June on possible rent increases for rent-regulated tenants. At the preliminary vote on May 3, the RGB agreed to discuss/vote on a 0%-2% rent increase for one-year leases and a .5%-3.5% rent increase for two-year leases. That means that there could be a rent freeze on one-year leases for the second year in a row. For information about the RGB's upcoming public hearings, email Ahmed Tigani in the office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer atigani@manhattanbp.nyc.gov or call (212) 669-3223.
Offshore Sailing School season: The Offshore Sailing School has launched its sailing programs in North Cove Marina. They include a two-day, accelerated "learn to sail" course, a two-day "race ready" course, a three-hour course entitled "Freedom Friday Sailing Adventures" and a five-day family "learn to sail" course, among others. Program pricing starts at $150. KidsSail for ages 7 to 17 starts on Monday, June 20 and runs through Aug. 12 with half- or full-day weekly sailing lessons. For more information about Offshore Sailing's New York harbor sailing activities, visit its office/classroom on the first floor of One North End Ave. (also known as 300 Vesey St. at Brookfield Place), call (212) 786-4888 or click here.
Annual Brooklyn Bridge Poetry Walk: On June 13, Poets House will be staging its annual walk across the Brooklyn Bridge as a fundraiser for its many events and public programs. The walk across the bridge is interspersed with poetry readings and ends with a festive dinner in DUMBO where more poetry is read between courses. Time: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets: $250; $225 (Poets House members). For more information, call (212) 431-7920 or click here.
Poets House membership: If you're not yet a member of Poets House, this is the time to sign up. Poets House, at 10 River Terrace in Battery Park City, is a free, 60,000 volume poetry library that sponsors lectures, symposia, exhibitions and classes and has special programs and facilities for children. Memberships start at $40 a year and are tax deductible. For more information about membership, click here.
Willy Wall open for the summer season: The Honorable William Wall, Manhattan Yacht Club's floating clubhouse in the harbor, has opened for the summer season. Buy a ticket, ride out to the Willy Wall on a launch and experience the incredible harbor. The Willy Wall offers unmatched views of sailboat races on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. This year, there will be an announcer doing play-by-play on race nights so you can follow the action and root for your favorite team. There is a bar on board where drinks and sodas can be purchased. Many people bring a picnic basket. For more about the Willy Wall, click here. Tickets: $20. To buy tickets, click here.
Downtown Boathouse season: This year's season of free kayaking at the Downtown Boathouse on Pier 26 (near North Moore Street) has begun. Weekends and holidays, the Downtown Boathouse will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 10. It will also be open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings between June 15 and Sept. 15 from 5 p.m to 7:30 p.m. with the last boat going out a half hour before closing time. 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 more information about the Downtown Boathouse, 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 through 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. 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.
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.
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.
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 June 7, 14, 21 and 28 and July 5, 12, 19 and 26. 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.
|
Before the construction of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and the World Trade Center, Manhattan's Lower West Side was home to one of the largest and earliest communities of Arab Americans in the United States. Little Syria, NY: An Immigrant Community's Life and Legacy tells the story of this neighborhood from its beginnings in the late 1800s to its legacy in Brooklyn and beyond.
May 25 to Sept. 16: The NYC Department of Records and Information Services, 31 Chambers St. Visitors Center. This exhibition was created by the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, Mich. For more information, click here. |
|
CALENDAR: Weeks of May 23 and May 30
|
| Cern, who started as a graffiti artist around two decades ago, now gets commissions to paint murals on buildings and has been in exhibitions at the San Diego Museum of Art, the Museu Brasileiro De Escultura in Sao Paulo and Los Angeles MOCA. His work is currently in an exhibition called "Animal Forms" at the World Trade Gallery, 120 Cedar St. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
|
May 28: Hosted by the South Street Seaport Museum, the French Navy schooner Etoile is visiting the South Street Seaport for Fleet Week. Built by the French Navy, FS Etoile is used to train young recruits in basic traditional navigation, crew life and seafaring judgment. Etoile was launched on Feb. 8, 1932 and is a replica of fishing vessels that were used off the coast of Iceland. Etoile and her sister ship, Belle Poule, joined the Free French Forces during World War II, for which they are still honored by flying the French flag with the cross of Lorraine. Also, May 29 and May 30. Place: Pier 15 (78 South St.) in the South Street Seaport. Open: 10 a.m. to noon and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 27. Other days, open from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Free. May 28: The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) has installed an exhibition called "Michael Richards: Winged" on Governors Island. It honors visual artist Michael Richards (1963-2001), who was killed during the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11 while he was working in his studio on the 92nd floor of World Trade Center, Tower One. The studio had been provided for him through an LMCC grant. The exhibition includes his work in sculpture and drawing, as well as documentation and ephemera of his art and life. Also, May 29. Place: Governors Island, Building 110 (near Soissons Landing). Time: Noon to 5 p.m. Free.
June 2: 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, June 9 and June 16. Registration is required. Place: Meet at the South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton St. Time: 6 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 (seniors and museum members); $10 (children). For tickets, click here. June 2: The South Street Seaport Museum's walking tour, "Hello, Havana: The Forgotten Luxury Liners of the East River," recalls the years when thousands of Americans sailed for the Caribbean, Mexico, and Cuba from piers along South Street. Among those luxury liners was the doomed Morro Castle, which caught fire on the morning of Sept. 8, 1934, en route from Havana to New York, killing 137 passengers and crew members. The tragedy led to laws that improved fire safety at sea. Thursdays, June 2 to June 16 at 12:15 p.m. Fridays, June 3 to June 17 at 6 p.m. The tour leaves from 12 Fulton St. Tickets: $20; $15 (Museum members); $10 (children). For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
June 3: 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, June 10 and 17. Time: 12:15 p.m. Tickets: $20; $15 (seniors and museum members); $10 (children). For tickets, click here.
June 4: BMCC Tribeca PAC's Lost Jazz Shrines series is dedicated to restoring the memory of legendary New York City jazz venues to the consciousness of the world with a thorough remembrance and celebration, led by Artistic Director Willard Jenkins. On Saturday, June 4 at 8:30 p.m. celebrate the legacy of both the legendary Sweet Basil and Lester Bowie. The concert will be preceded by a free panel at 7 p.m. featuring a discussion of the legacy of Sweet Basil and its activities with Bob Stewart and James Browne (previous proprietor of Sweet Basil), moderated by Willard Jenkins. Place: Tribeca Performing Arts Center at Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers St. Tickets: $25 for the concert. To buy tickets, call (212) 220-1460 or click here.
Ongoing: "Stitching History from the Holocaust," an exhibition at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, re-creates the dress designs of Hedy Strnad. In 1939, she and her husband, Paul, wrote to his American cousin seeking help to escape Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. Nearly 60 years later, the Strnad family discovered the letter in their basement, along with a packet of Hedy's dress designs. While Hedy and Paul did not survive, their story is brought to life through the contemporary creation of Hedy's designs and the piecing together of this couple's history. Through Aug. 14, 2016. Place: 36 Battery Place. The museum is open Sunday to Friday. Tickets: $12; $10 (seniors, 65 and up); $7 (students); free (children, 12 and under and museum members). For hours and more information, 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: "Keeping the Revolution Alive: The John Ward Dunsmore Collection" at Fraunces Tavern Museum. John Ward Dunsmore (1856-1945) was best known for his realistic and accurate genre paintings of the events surrounding the American Revolution and Early Republic. His careful research and attention to detail lead to the creation of vivid paintings that became a part of the nation's historical imagery. Dunsmore's works have been reproduced on items ranging from school children's textbooks to the Library of Congress's website. This exhibition displays a chronology of the Revolutionary War as depicted by Dunsmore. All of the paintings have been restored in the past 10 years. On May 31, the paintings will be moved to another gallery at Fraunces Tavern Museum for a larger exhibition, "Dunsmore: Illustrating the American Revolutionary War" that opens on June 17. 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:
June 5: As an adjunct of its exhibition, "Yiddish Theater: From the Bowery to Broadway," the Museum of the City of New York is offering "The Yiddish Walk of Fame," a walking tour of Second Avenue, the heart of the Yiddish Rialto. In the first decades of the 20th century, a vibrant Yiddish theatrical scene blossomed on the Lower East Side. Centered on Second Avenue, New York's "Yiddish Broadway" offered dramas, comedies, and musicals that rivaled the offerings uptown. Join community historian Elissa Sampson to explore the roots of American theater and popular culture through a tour of historic sites along Second Avenue. Stops will include the Yiddish Arts Theatre, Cafe Royale, the Yiddish Rialto Starwalk, and the Community Synagogue. The total length of the tour will be about half a mile. Place: The tour will begin at the southwest corner of Second Avenue and Twelfth Street. Time: 10:45 a.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold on site. Tickets: $30; $25 (seniors and students); $20 (Museum members). For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
June 8: "Since the early 1960s, the South Street Seaport has been a battleground for New York's identity," says Dr. James M. Lindgren, professor of history at SUNY Plattsburgh. The South Street Seaport has the largest concentration of 19th-century mercantile buildings in the city - dear to preservationists but not necessarily to city bureaucrats and commercial developers. Lindgren will present an illustrated talk on his book, "Preserving South Street Seaport: The Dream and Reality of a New York Urban Renewal District" at the Mid-Manhattan Library. Place: 455 Fifth Ave., 6th floor. Time: 6:30 p.m. Free.
Buy tickets now:
June 11: A workshop entitled "Weaving and Poetry with Jill Magi" at Poets House is about playfulness and about ways in which beginners can sense and use language intuitively. It will
|
| | |
Jill Magi. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
| |
begin with a 45-minute-long work session where participants will make small, cardboard looms, take bits of thread and fabric, and make page-sized weavings. No textile arts experience is necessary. Then, in a writing session, participants will transfer this sense of play and "in-expertise" to the blank page. Class enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. Place: 10 River Terrace. Time: 2 pm. to 6 p.m. Fee: $125. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
