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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 3, No. 30 June 24, 2016
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Come shop. Have lunch. Have dinner. Enjoy the day!"
- Warrie Price, president of The Battery Conservancy, announcing the first Battery Fair, which takes place on June 25 and June 26 with 90 exhibitors
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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All ads in Downtown Post NYC have clickable links. Click on an ad for more information. MASTHEAD PHOTO: An attendee at the Swedish Mid-Summer Festival. June 20, 2014 (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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 CHAIRS AND A FAIR MARK GRAND OPENING OF THE BATTERY OVAL
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| | Warrie Price, president of The Battery Conservancy, holding a map of the Battery with the Battery Oval prominent in the center. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The Battery Oval - 90,000 square feet of lawn - has been a gleam in Warrie Price's eye for several years. Price, the president of The Battery Conservancy, which she founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit corporation to rebuild and restore the 25-acre public park at the southern tip of Manhattan, envisioned that lawn as a Town Green where people would congregate for communal events and to relax. But that took fundraising. It took laying down sod and giving it a year to take root. And it took a plan and a vision, both of which Price has in abundance, for exactly what would happen when the Battery Oval finally opened to the public.
"Chairs and a fair!" she exulted. That's what will be in place this weekend - Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 - when the Battery Oval makes its official debut.
Three hundred movable chairs, designed by Canadian furniture designer Andrew Jones, who won a contest sponsored by the Battery Conservancy, will be placed on the lawn so that people can use them as they wish. The chairs resemble flowers and are painted in three shades of blue.
Around the perimeter of the lawn will be stands for 90 exhibitors. They will be selling fresh food and flowers, doing demonstrations, passing out samples and educating the public on the biodiversity of the American northeast. Among them will be the Battery Conservancy's gardeners, who will be selling plants from the park's magnificent perennial gardens. They include many native plants and plants that can withstand the sometimes harsh marine environment of the harbor.
Around two-thirds of the exhibitors will be selling food. Some of them will be farmers. Others will be entrepreneurs who utilize what the farmers grow and raise to make manufactured products. "A grain producer who sells to a baker who sells his bread to a restaurant will have stands next to each other," said Anna Morrison, planning and design associate for the Battery Conservancy.
Vendors will pay nothing to participate in the fair, nor will the Battery Conservancy take a percentage of sales. "For the very first fair, we are underwriting the whole thing," Price said. "We don't want any small-batch entrepreneurs not to be able to participate."
She estimates the cost of the fair at over $100,000.
Stands for exhibitors were designed and developed by the Battery Conservancy and can be used for other fairs and exhibits. "Anyone who is interested in doing a fair in the Battery could rent our stands from us," Price said.
Price hopes that the fair will be very successful and can be seasonal. "We're looking toward a harvest festival in the fall," she said. "We need Downtown to fall madly in love with our fair. Come shop. Have lunch. Have dinner. Enjoy the day!"
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
The Battery Fair will be open on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, click here.
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Downtown Post Travel
LOWER MANHATTAN'S CRUISE SHIPS: NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY
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| Norwegian Breakaway heading out to sea on May 30, 2016.
(Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The glorious days of summer sailing in New York harbor started on Memorial Day weekend. On May 30, passengers aboard one of those sailboats, the South Street Seaport Museum's 1885 schooner Pioneer, were treated to the sight of three cruise ships entering or leaving the harbor, among them the Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Breakaway.
Norwegian Breakaway is a frequent sight in the harbor, year round. The 4,000 passenger ship,
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Lower Manhattan as seen from an upper deck of Norwegian Breakaway on May 10, 2013.
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which was launched in the spring of 2013, is home-ported here. Her New York debut was celebrated on May 8, 2013 with then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the ship's godmothers, the Rockettes, in attendance. At the time, the mayor, whose interests were more monetary than marine, pointed out that the cruise sector accounted for $200 million of the city's $55 billion tourism industry.
On May 12, 2013, for the first time, Norwegian Breakaway headed out of the harbor for a seven-day cruise to Bermuda. Her regular itineraries still include Bermuda, the Bahamas and Florida and the Caribbean.
Those who have often seen her coming and going may wonder what she looks like aboard. She  is flashy and boisterous. LED lights abound in the public rooms. A two-story-tall LED screen decorates the main lobby.
She has 18 decks, with plenty of room for such amenities as five water slides, a three-story sports complex and a nine-hole miniature golf course. Her cooks supply food for 27 restaurants. Facilities for kids of all ages include a playroom for young children and a room stocked with video games for older ones. In the evenings, passengers can  choose from three Broadway-style shows, a comedy club and a blues and jazz room. And that's only some of what goes on during an average day and night on Norwegian Breakaway.
Though she is a leviathan, she is by no means the world's largest cruise ship. But she is New York City's own, as proclaimed by the Peter Max graphics on her hull, which include depictions of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty. When the big ship passes the statue on her way up and down the Hudson River between her berth in the midtown Manhattan Cruise Terminal and the Atlantic Ocean, it's always a thrill for her passengers who rush to that side of the ship to take pictures as though neither they nor anyone else had ever seen the lovely lady before.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Cruises on Norwegian Breakaway range in length from seven days round trip to the Bahamas and Florida and Bermuda to up to 14-day cruises to the Caribbean. Prices range from $699 to $1,299 per person, double occupancy. For more information, click here.
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Bits & Bytes
TRUMP'S NOTORIOUS TENANTS AT 40 WALL ST.; JOE DANIELS
LEAVING 9/11 MEMORIAL; TRIBECA MEGAMANSION GETS LPC NOD
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The copper-roofed building at 40 Wall St. was completed in 1930 for the Bank of Manhattan Trust. It was briefly the tallest building in the world. It is now owned by Donald Trump. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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"Head of 9/11 memorial plans to step down," Crain's New York Business, 6/22/16. "The head of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum says he plans to step down later this year," says Crain's New York Business. "Joe Daniels has served as its president and CEO since 2005. He said in a letter to the memorial board on Wednesday that it was the right time for a new leader and a new challenge for him." For the complete article, click here.
"Inside Trump's Most Valuable Tower: Felons, Dictators and Girl Scouts," Bloomberg.com, 6/22/16. "A hedge-fund manager on the 28th floor who pretended to be dead when investors asked for their money reported to prison in January. A few weeks later, an investment adviser on the 17th floor was accused of running a Ponzi-like scheme. Thirteen floors up, a lawyer pleaded guilty this month to stealing millions of dollars from clients," says Bloomberg.com at the beginning of an article about some of Donald Trump's tenants "at 40 Wall St., across from the New York Stock Exchange, behind golden capital letters proclaiming that this is The Trump Building." The article said that Trump praised "the 86-year-old Art Deco tower as one of his great possessions. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee also told fans in Maine that critics who mock his failed companies should focus instead on the Manhattan skyscraper. 'They don't want to talk about 40 Wall Street," he said. But the 72-story building has housed frauds, thieves, boiler rooms and penny-stock schemers since Trump took it over in 1995 in what may be the best deal of his career. No single property in his portfolio is more valuable than 40 Wall St., according to a Bloomberg valuation of his assets last year. And no U.S. address has been home to more of the unregistered brokerages that investors complain about, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission's current public alert list." For the complete article, click here.
"Tribeca Megamansion Designed by Maya Lin Gets Enthusiastic Approval from LPC," Curbed.com, 6/22/16. The Historic Districts Council compared the facade of a proposed single family home at 11 Hubert St. to a "block of Swiss cheese" but despite this comparison, on June 21 the Landmarks Preservation Commission gave the proposed building "an enthusiastic thumbs up," says Curbed.com. "Architects Maya Lin and William Bialosky, who are collaborating on the project, were both on hand to make the case for the project. In its current form, 11 Hubert Street is home to a garage topped with a two-story addition, and it sits within the Tribeca North Historic District. It was originally built in the 1930s, and went from a warehouse to a storage facility to its most recent iteration. According to the plans on file with the DOB, 55,080 square feet of the lot is zoned for residential use, and the addition would take the existing building from four to six stories, with a height of 64 feet." For the complete article, click here.
"$30M Tribeca Penthouse Tries New Tactics To Nab a Buyer," Curbed.com, 6/22/16. A five-bedroom apartment atop 11 North Moore Street in Tribeca has been on the market for years, says Curbed.com. "The penthouse first hit the market in 2014 with a whopping $40 million ask, and while the price has come down (it's now going for $29.995 million), it's still looking for a buyer. In an effort to get those who can afford a $30 million apartment interested in the seemingly unsellable apartment, it recently got new staging, along with a batch of new listings photos that show off the space." Curbed.com laments the fact that only one of the photos "shows that private rooftop pool-which, two years after it first hit the market, now has a view of the Jenga-like 56 Leonard Street." For the complete article, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board
RIVER PROJECT 30TH ANNIVERSARY GALA; SUMMER PET SAFETY TIPS; WESTFIELD WORLD TRADE JOB FAIR; SEAFARERS CAMP STARTS JULY 3
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| | "Drawing in the Park" is one of the free classes offered by Battery Park City Parks. It takes place in South Cove on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon with all materials provided. For more information, click here. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Westfield World Trade Center Job Fair: Westfield has already opened stores in the Fulton Center and will be opening more stores in the end of August at the World Trade Center. In an effort to hire experienced people to staff these shops, Westfield is hosting a job fair on June 29 with around 50 retailers present. Available positions include part-time and full-time help in the fields of sales, operations, back of house and management. In addition to an opportunity to meet retailers who are hiring, there will be free seminars in interview skills and r�sum� building along with a professional photographer for profile headshots. Registration is required. To register, click here. For more information, email westfieldwtcjobfair@westfield.com. Place: Conrad Hotel, 102 North End Ave. Time: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
River Project Anniversary Gala: For the last 30 years, The River Project has been connecting the people of New York and visitors from around the world with the marvels and mysteries of the Hudson River. On Aug. 1, The River Project will celebrate with a fundraising dinner cruise aboard the Hornblower Hybrid. The event will feature the creatures of the Hudson River, live from underwater at Pier 42. Laurie Anderson will add special music. In addition, the gala will honor three special friends of the Harbor's wildlife: U.S. Congressman Jerry Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and author Paul Greenberg. Place: Leaving from Pier 40. Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets start at $250. For more information, email cathy@riverprojectnyc.org. To buy tickets, click here.
More free Wi-Fi in Lower Manhattan: The Alliance for Downtown New York has expanded the free wi-fi network in Lower Manhattan. The network now runs from the Battery to Barclay Street. Since the Downtown Alliance started this network in 2003, it has grown steadily with the support of numerous downtown businesses and organizations, most recently Trinity Church and the law firm, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP. The network is accessed via #DwntwnAllianceFreeWiFi. For more information, click here.
Adult Ceramics: Adults can take ceramics classes this summer at the Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren St., starting any time throughout June and July. Classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Enrolled students have access to the studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.), Saturdays (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and Sundays (noon to 3 p.m.), where they can work on their own projects. Cost: $210 plus $40 materials fee for each six-week session, with a 10 percent discount for Community Center members or past Living Social participants. For more information or to register, email Susan@manhattanyouth.org.
Battery Park City Parks Summer Events Calendar: For a complete list of events and classes taking place this summer in Battery Park City under the auspices of Battery Park City Parks, click here.
Pet Safety Tips: Jeff and Paula Galloway, who run the Battery Park City Dog Association, have distributed some tips for keeping dogs safe in the summer. "Never leave your pet in the car," they advise. The temperature inside a car can quickly rise to 120 degrees F, even with the windows rolled down. They also recommend providing a pet with sunscreen for ear tips, lips and nose. Pets can get sunburned, they say, which can cause problems pain, peeling and skin cancer in animals, just as in humans. Humid days can pose special risks, making it difficult for dogs to rid themselves of excess body heat - so they advise keeping walks to a gentle pace, especially if a dog is elderly, very young or ill. As with humans, heatstroke in animals is a medical emergency. Body temperature can be lowered by applying towels soaked in cool water to hairless areas of a dog's body, they say, while someone calls a veterinarian, who should be seen immediately even if the pet seems better. Heatstroke can be fatal. For more information from and about the Battery Park City Dog Association, click here.
BPC Community Day: The Battery Park City Authority is sponsoring a Battery Park City Community Day on Saturday, June 25, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Community Center at Stuyvesant High School (CCSHS), 345 Chambers St. The event will feature lawn games, prizes, pizza and other snacks and refreshments, as well as full access to all the Community Center's offerings. Attendees can swim in the half-sized Olympic pool, play basketball, work out in the weight room, play pickup basketball or compete in free-throw and three-point shot contests. There will be 20-minute fitness classes throughout the day, including yoga, total body boxing, tai chi, core fitness, cardio swim, and Masala Banghra dance fitness. Those wishing to use the pool should bring their own locks and towels. Admission is free.
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.
Next New York City primary: On June 28, there will be a federal primary election for registered Democrats in seven of New York City's congressional districts. Voters will select a
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A primary election on June 28 will determine who will be the Democratic candidate in the 10th Congressional District. The seat is currently held by Rep. Jerrold Nadler who is running against Mikhail Oliver Rosenberg.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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candidate to represent their party in the Nov. 8 general election for the U.S. House of Representatives. Only registered Democrats can vote in these primaries. (There are no Republican primaries in these districts.) In District 10, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, the incumbent, is running against Mikhail Oliver Rosenberg. This district includes the Financial District, Battery Park City, Tribeca, Soho, the West Village, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, Clinton, Midtown West, and the Upper West Side. For more information about Congressman Nadler and his record, click here. For more information about Rosenberg, click here. Polls will be open on June 28 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. To locate your polling site, click here.
Volunteers needed at the South Street Seaport Museum: Since its founding, the South Street Seaport Museum's mission has been to preserve and interpret the history of the Port of New York. Volunteers and interns are essential to this effort. Their skills are needed in many aspects of the museum's operation including administration, the crafts centers, and visitor services. Volunteers and interns help to inventory items in the museum's collections and assist with exhibitions. In the Education Department, they help the staff with public programs, book talks, lectures, workshops, walking tours and family programming. Some volunteers serve as docents after they receive training provided by Museum staff, giving tours of the collections and the historic district. On the waterfront, volunteers and interns help maintain and interpret the stationary vessels and operate, maintain and interpret the operational vessels. All of the ships need carpenters, electricians, ship engineers, riggers, metalworkers and divers from time to time. Volunteers and interns also work as crew on the schooner Pioneer as she cruises in New York Harbor and beyond. Training is provided. Those who are interested must be over the age of 18 or have parental or guardian permission, and pass a US Coast Guard-required drug test. For more information about volunteering for the South Street Seaport Museum, 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 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.
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.
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, is open 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 is an announcer doing play-by-play on race nights so you can follow the action and root for your favorite team. A bar on board sells drinks and sodas. 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 (in Hudson River Park near North Moore Street) is in full swing. Weekends and holidays, the Downtown Boathouse is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 10. It is also 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. Kayaking classes take place every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., weather permitting. 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 15. 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. 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. Annual membership and day pass purchases 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.
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.
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 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.
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Letter to the editor
IN SUPPORT OF REP. JERRY NADLER IN THE JUNE 28 ELECTION
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| | Congressman Jerrold Nadler, who represents the 10th Congressional District, is in a contested primary for the Democratic nomination. His opponent is Mikhail Oliver Rosenberg. The primary election is on Tuesday, June 28. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
To the editor:
I'm writing to tell you why I'm supporting Congressman Jerry Nadler in the Democratic Primary on Tuesday, June 28.
Jerry has been a powerful voice for our community - and one of the leading progressive voices in Congress. He has never been afraid to stand up for what is right. During his 16 years in the New York State Assembly and 24 years in Congress, Jerry has built a strong record championing progressive causes that advance economic and social justice. He has:
� Sponsored every major LGBT bill over the past 20 years, including being the first member from New York to support marriage equality and leading the fight against the Defense of Marriage Act.
� Fought to protect a woman's right to choose, standing up to the ultra-conservative Republicans attacking Planned Parenthood.
� Been a constant fighter on behalf of people with HIV/AIDS, protecting their civil rights and securing funding for essential services and research.
� Led the way to secure $20 billion dollars for recovery work for Lower Manhattan following the 9/11 attacks, as well as billions of dollars more for health care and compensation for 9/11 survivors and responders.
� Worked tirelessly to strengthen gun laws, from the ban on assault weapons to stronger background checks for all gun purchases.
� Delivered for New York City by pushing to increase investments for our buses and subways at a time when Republicans are attempting to defund mass transit.
� Supported Israel as one of the strongest advocates in Congress committed to ensuring a safe, secure, and democratic State, as well as being among the first members to oppose the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
We need more voices like Jerry's in Washington, and we need Jerry Nadler in Congress to stand up for New Yorkers.
Bob Trentlyon
Chelsea activist
To the editor:
On June 28, registered Democratic voters of the 10th Congressional District will have the right to vote in a primary election to nominate U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler to represent them for another two years.
Rep. Nadler has been a loyal gladiator fighting to protect people's safety nets, deaths from illegal guns, local and foreign terrorism, legal rights and the environment. He has opposed the hugely influential financial, business, media complex able to persuade voters to elect their worst enemies, thus undermining our unique political system.
The future is in our hands in a voting booth (everywhere). Elect Jerry Nadler!
Sy Schleimer
From the editor:
Rep. Jerrold Nadler is running for the Democratic nomination in the 10th Congressional District against Mikhail Oliver Rosenberg. Polls are open Tuesday, June 28 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. To find out where you vote, call 311 or click here.
We welcome letters to the editor. Email them to editor@downtownpostnyc.com. We reserve the right to edit them for clarity and length.
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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. |
COMMUNITY BOARD 1 MEETINGS: Week of June 27
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| | Part of a street fair on Water Street. (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.
June 27: Personnel Committee - 5:30 p.m.* Selection of Community Board 1 Land Use Consultant - Possible resolution * Application for Public Membership on Community Board 1 - Discussion June 28: CB 1 Monthly Meeting - 6 p.m. Location: Southbridge Towers 90 Beekman St., Community Room I. Public Session* Comments by members of the public (6 p.m. to 7 p.m.) (1-2 minutes per speaker) * Guest Speaker Jennifer Adams-Webb, Chief Executive Officer, 9/11 Tribute Center II. Business Session* Adoption of May 2016 minutes * Chairperson's Report - C. McVay Hughes * District Manager's Report - N. Pfefferblit * Election of Officers - S. Cole * Report * Distribution of ballots and voting (ballot box will remain open for one hour after conclusion of candidates forum) III. Committee Reports
A) Street Fair Task Force Committee - D. Charkoudian* Battery Park fairs - Report * Expanding the number of CB1-sponsored street fairs in 2017 - Report * Possible CB1-sponsored Holiday fair for 2016 - Report * Pop-up style street fairs for 2017 - Report * Summary of dates, locations and received or expected revenues of 2015 and projected 2016 Street Fairs - Report B) Personnel Committee - R. Byrom* Selection of Community Board 1 Land Use Consultant - Possible resolution * Application for Public Membership on Community Board 1 - Report C) Youth & Education Committee - T. Joyce Seaport/Civic Center Committee - P. Hovitz* Application for Playstreet on Peck Slip between Pearl Street and Water Street on all school days at various times from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. by PS 343 - Resolution D) Youth & Education Committee - T. Joyce* Increasing Speed Cameras in School Zones - Resolution * Traffic Safety on West Street - Resolution * City Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Consultation Process with Department of Education - Resolution * Ideas + Inspiration - Report E) Battery Park City Committee - A. Notaro* Battery Park City Authority - Report * Allied Barton Ambassadors - Report * Unexpected rent hikes and lease issues in Battery Park City - Report * Asphalt Green agreement with BPCA and performance as a Community Center - Report * West Street traffic issues - Report * Presentations by BPC organizations - Report F) Quality of Life Committee - P. Moore* Letter to Congress in support of funding for the Zika virus - Resolution * Crane Technical Working Group Report - Resolution * American Heart Association Walk/Run - Report * Construction Forum on Sept. 22, 2016 - Report * Legislation to amend State Liquor Authority law - Report G) Seaport/Civic Center Committee - P. Hovitz* Hornblower noise and air pollution on Pier 15 - Resolution * High Water Mark - Resolution * 111 Worth Street, application for wine and beer license for Smit and Smith Worth Street LLC - Resolution * 42 Peck Slip (119 South St.), application for restaurant liquor license for Paris Caf� LLC d/b/a Paris Caf� - Resolution * Development at former J&R Site - Report * New Market and Tin Building Cooler Demolition - Report * Artists Loft, 181 Front St. - Report * 15 Cliff Street plaza certification - Report H) Planning Committee - P. Kennell* Community District 1 Streetscape Survey - Resolution * Hazard Mitigation Grant Program resiliency funding - Resolution * New York City DEP plan to manage stormwater - Resolution * The Battery Playground - Resolution * Waterfront Alliance, City of Water Day on Saturday, July 16, 2016 - Report * MTA subway connections at the World Trade Center - Report * Mandatory Inclusionary Housing /Zoning for Quality and Affordability - Report * Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) and Its Impact on Water Quality in NY Harbor - Report * NYC 2030 - Report * Mayor's Office of Recovery & Resiliency Interactive Map - Report I) Tribeca Committee - E. Lewinsohn1) 165 Church Street, application for unenclosed sidewalk caf� for Sole Di Capri LLC - Resolution 2) 69 Leonard Street, application for restaurant liquor license for Ichidan LLC - Resolution 3) 281 Church Street aka 35 White Street, application for liquor license for David Bouley Atelier LLC - Resolution 4) 118-120 Duane Street tenants - Resolution J) Financial District Committee - S. Cole* 100 Washington Street, China Institute Phase Two Renovations - Resolution * 1 Wall St., application to waive requirement for rooftop recreation space - Resolution * 17 Trinity Place, application for pizzeria beer and cider license for 18 Pizza LLC d/b/a Bravo Kosher Pizza - Resolution * 23 Park Place, application for an alteration of a restaurant liquor license for Murray Place Inc. d/b/a Barleycorn - Resolution * 62 Pearl St, application for restaurant liquor license for Shorty's Restaurant LLC d/b/a Shorty's - Resolution * Game On! Water Street summer programming - Report * Pen Parentis, Ltd - Report K) Landmarks Committee - R. Byrom* Climate Change Threats to Heritage Sites - Resolution * Fulton Market Building, application for approval of second floor signage - Resolution * 73 Worth St., application for new glass and steel entrance canopy and accessibility upgrades for the commercial entrances - Resolution * One Chase Manhattan Plaza/28 Liberty St. - Report * Revised Landmarks Law - Report V. Old BusinessVI. New Business VII. AdjournmentAll documents relating to the above agenda items are on file at the Community Board 1 office and are available for viewing by the public upon written request to man01@cb.nyc.gov |
CALENDAR: Week of June 20
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| | The Swedish Midsummer Festival in Battery Park City (this year on June 24) is one of the highlights of the summer season. It takes place on one of the longest days of the year, with traditional Swedish music, food, dancing and wreath-making. The festival melds ancient pagan traditions having to do with fertility and rebirth with a celebration of the birth of St. John the Baptist. June 24 is sometimes known as St. John's Day. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
June 24: An exhibition, "Deep Calls Deep" is at the World Trade Gallery with artists Michael Alan, Jenny McGee, Desmond Frick, Alicia Flannery, Ruben 415 and Erasmo. Gallery open Monday to Saturday. Place: 120 Broadway (entrance on Cedar Street). For gallery hours and more information, click here.
June 24: Shakespeare Downtown presents "Romeo and Juliet" at Castle Clinton. Place: The Battery. Tuesdays to Saturdays, through June 25. Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Tickets: Free. (Available beginning at 5 p.m. on the day of the performance. Get tickets at Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park. Seating capacity, 200 people per performance.) For more information, click here. June 24: For two decades, the Swedish Mid-Summer Festival has brought thousands of people to Battery Park City to picnic in the grass, decorate the midsummer pole, make flower wreaths, play traditional games and dance to authentic fiddle music. The program features traditional music by Paul Dahlin and fiddlers from the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, folk dances with Barnklubben Elsa Rix, and pole dancing led by Scandinavian folklorist and singer Ross Sutter. Food stands offer delicacies from New York's finest Swedish restaurants and food purveyors. Rain or shine. Place: Wagner Park and Pier A plaza. Time: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free admission. Food and beverages for sale. For more information, click here. June 24: The River to River festival continues with Sarah Michaelson in "R2R Attempt 2" at the Battery Maritime Building (7 p.m. to 8 p.m.); Julian Pe�a in "Panopticon" at Federal Hall; and Wally Cardona, Jennifer Lacey and Jonathan Bepler in "The Set Up: Kapila Venu" at the South Street Seaport Museum's Melville Gallery (9 p.m. to 11 p.m.) Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: An exhibition called "Dunsmore: Illustrating the American Revolutionary War" opened on June 17 at the Fraunces Tavern Museum. John Ward Dunsmore (1856-1945) was a realistic and accurate genre painter who focused on the American Revolution and Early Republic. Through a chronological display of the Revolutionary War, this exhibition returns 47 recently conserved paintings to their rightful place in the iconography of American culture. Place: 54 Pearl St. Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Admission: $7; $4 (seniors, students and children 6 to 18); free (children under 5 and active military). For more information, click here.
Ongoing: A retrospective of the work of Rosemarie Castoro (1939 - 2015) is at the Hal Bromm Gallery in Tribeca. The exhibition features over 50 works from the 1960s to the 2000s  including painting, sculpture and work on paper. Castoro established herself in the late '60s as one of the few well-recognized female painters among the New York Minimalists. Through June 30. Place: 90 West Broadway (at Chambers Street). Open: Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, call (212) 732-6196 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: Aboard the historic lighthouse tender Lilac, a photography exhibition by Richard W. Golden entitled "Defending New York Harbor: The City's Waterfront Forts" documents the fortifications that protectively ring New York Harbor. Through July 31. Place: Pier 25 in Hudson River Park. Time: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Thursdays) and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays). Free. For 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: The National Museum of the American Indian is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free admission. It offers free films, docent-led tours of its exhibitions and tours of its premises, the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, designed by Cass Gilbert. The building, which was completed in 1907, is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One Bowling Green. Phone: (212) 514-3700. For the museum's calendar, click here.
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Downtown Post NYC is emailed to subscribers twice a week.
Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
All articles and photographs in Downtown Post NYC are copyrighted and
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� 2016
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