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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 3, No. 35 July 24, 2016
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"We don't know if it's going to spread in New York City and we don't want to find out."
- Dr. Michael Gordon, a public member of Community Board 1, talking to CB1's Battery Park City Committee about the presence of the Zika virus in New York City
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: Fireworks over the Hudson River. July 16, 2016
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
 SEN. SQUADRON APPEARS AT BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING TO ASK THAT PUBLIC BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK
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| | New York State Senator Daniel Squadron at the Battery Park City Authority board of directors meeting on July 20 at which he argued that the BPCA should allow the public to comment at its meetings. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The July 20 meeting of the Battery Park City Authority board of directors was already in progress when the door at the back of the room slid open and New York State Senator Daniel  Squadron came in. Elected officials don't usually appear at BPCA board of directors meetings. It would take a matter of great importance and urgency for that to happen. BPCA chairman Dennis Mehiel knew why Squadron was there. "There was a suggestion that the board meetings be open for general comments from members of the public," he said. "We thought about it, talked about it among ourselves, looked at the practices of other authorities and concluded that we're not inclined to do that for a variety of reasons. But what we did say
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Dennis Mehiel
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in response was that if members of the public want to communicate with the board, with the organization, through their elected officials, we're more than happy to accommodate that." Squadron sat down near Mehiel at the head of the table. He opened his remarks by saying that he along with other elected officials had written to the BPCA in April asking that the public be allowed to speak at board meetings. "This has never been about elected officials' opportunity to be heard," he said. "We have a lot of opportunity to be heard as the chair and the president and maybe the rest of you know. It's the public that often does not, especially in light of the fact that the board is comprised primarily of members who do not reside in Battery Park City."
Squadron went on to say that the elected officials think it's very important that the board members "do get to hear directly from residents in a formal setting. We appreciate the feedback sessions that have been created. We don't believe that that replaces this forum."
Since the residents had not been allowed to speak, he acted as their conduit, reading for the
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Battery Park City Authority board of directors member Lester Petracca and BPCA president and COO Shari Hyman listening to Sen. Daniel Squadron at the BPCA board of directors meeting on July 20. Members of the BPCA staff are sitting behind them.
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benefit of the board some of the comments that had been sent to his office. They had to do with the financial structure of Battery Park City and the issue of whether housing would remain affordable.
Battery Park City's physical infrastructure, given sea level rise and flooding, was also a matter of great concern. "The people who live and work here must be part of the dialogue and decision-making process from the earliest stages (before consultants are awarded contracts, for example), not at the end of the process or after the fact," said one comment.
Another comment addressed what were perceived as the conflicting needs of tourists on the one hand and the residents and small business community on the other. The writer felt that the BPCA was favoring the tourists when it analyzed what needed to be done.
There was a repeated desire for "increased transparency and open government" and for a "lengthy period of public comment" when significant changes to infrastructure or policy were being considered.
Squadron went on to list the many public boards in New York State that do allow direct public comment at their meetings. They include the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the Empire State Development Corp., the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., and many others.
He also noted that a number of City-controlled boards do allow time for public comment at their board meetings.
"These 22 government bodies represent constituencies and issues very large and very small," he said. "The thing they have in common is that, unlike the Battery Park City Authority, they allow the public to directly address their members. The operations of these organizations are not diminished by greater public participation; they are enhanced." When Squadron had finished, Martha Gallo, the only board member who does live in Battery Park City, asked him what expectation there was for dialogue or response to the public in those forums. Squadron replied that he was not directly familiar with all of the organizations that he had mentioned, but with the ones that he knew first hand, there was no expectation in most cases of an immediate dialogue. "There are some that allow back and forth but it's not really the norm," he said. Mehiel wrapped up by saying jocularly, "We're going to have a robust conversation around the Senator's comments." Later that day, at the open Community Meeting organized by the Battery Park City Authority, Eric Mayo from Sen. Squadron's office asked whether there had been any discussion or follow up to Squadron's presentation to the BPCA board of directors. There has been "no additional discussion from this morning, no," BPCA president and chief operating officer Shari Hyman replied. - Terese Loeb Kreuzer  Alix Pustilnik, general counsel; Seema Singh, associate general counsel; and Benjamin Jones, vice president of administration and internal audit at the Battery Park City Authority, listening to New York State Sen. Daniel Squadron at the BPCA board of directors meeting on July 20 at which he argued that the BPCA should allow the public to comment at its meetings.
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TRAVEL AND MOSQUITO SEASON INCREASE ZIKA THREAT IN NYC
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| | Dr. Michael Gordon, a public member of Community Board 1, making a presentation to CB1's Battery Park City Committee about the perils of the Zika virus and how it is spread. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The Zika virus has been known to scientists and physicians since 1947 said Dr. Michael Gordon, a public member of Community Board 1, when he made a presentation to CB1's Battery Park City Committee on July 5. But between 1947 and 2007, there were only 14 recorded cases in the United States so no one paid much attention to this virus. Even as recently as a year ago, it was not the apocalyptic threat that it has become - a danger to pregnant women who may give birth to babies with tiny, malformed heads and other developmental problems and a hazard for women who may become pregnant.
Now, according to Time magazine (" 10 Zika Facts You Need to Know Now," 5/4/16), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) "has activated its Emergency Operations Center to a Level 1 response for Zika, something that's happened only three other times: during Hurricane Katrina, the H1N1 flu outbreak and the Ebola crisis." Dr. Gordon explained that most cases in the United States up until now have been travel related, contracted by people who were bitten by mosquitoes in countries where the disease is prevalent. But he also explained that much is not known about how Zika is transmitted and that new information is coming to light all the time. In the past few weeks, for instance, it was discovered that Zika could be transmitted through sexual contact. Although most instances involve male to female transmission, New York City's health department recently recorded one case in which a man caught the Zika virus from a woman with whom he had unprotected sex. She had just returned from a trip where she contracted the illness. And in Utah, a man who cared for his ill father who had the disease, contracted it without having been bitten by a mosquito or having sex with an ill partner. Dr. Gordon said that the symptoms of Zika are similar to common viruses and that many people don't realize that they have Zika-caused illness and are never tested for it. They may have joint and muscle pain, conjunctivitis, fever, a rash and fatigue that can last for days or even weeks. But for most people, when those symptoms dissipate, that's the end of the problem. But not for everyone. Dr. Gordon said that Zika-caused illness has been associated with Guillain-Barr� Syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the nervous system and can lead to almost total paralysis. It can strike anyone of any age, often after a respiratory or viral infection. The typical rate of infection in the United States for Guillain-Barr� is one for each 100,000 cases of viral infection. So far there have been four cases in the United States of Guillain-Barr� associated with Zika. There is no cure for this syndrome. "Someone with a simple cold can wind up with catastrophic problems," said Dr. Gordon. When Dr. Gordon made his presentation to CB1 on July 5, he said that as of June 29, 2016, there had been 948 cases of known Zika illness in the 50 states and 233 cases in New York City. As of July 15, there were 309 Zika cases in New York City, all of them contracted while traveling abroad. None, as of that date, had been transmitted locally by mosquitoes. But travel and a New York City summer's hot and humid weather make Zika more likely. Dr. Gordon said that the mosquitoes that transmit Zika and other viruses lay their eggs in water, and that standing water as small as the size of a bottle cap can be a breeding ground. When the water dries up, the eggs can remain viable for up to eight months or even over a winter. A mosquito lays dozens of eggs at a time and can lay up to five times during its lifetime. There is no vaccine against Zika and no specific cure. To avoid getting the virus, Dr. Gordon advised wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants, using air conditioning if possible, and window and door screens and applying Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)- registered insect repellents. He advised sleeping under a mosquito bed net if air conditioned or screened rooms weren't available. Zika-transmitting mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) bite aggressively during the daytime but can also bite at night. Unprotected sex should be avoided according to the Centers for Disease Control. "We don't know if it's going to spread in New York City and we don't want to find out," Dr. Gordon said of Zika. On July 22, health officials reported the first baby born in New York City with an abnormally small head and impaired brain development caused by the Zika virus. As of last week, around 2,000 pregnant women from New York City had traveled to places where Zika is common and had asked the City's Department of Health to be tested. So far, 41 of those tests have come back positive. The U.S. Congress had debated allocating money for the development of a Zika vaccine and for tracking the spread of Zika but adjourned for the summer without a funding bill. The House of Representatives had made passage of the bill contingent on reducing funding for Planned Parenthood, defunding parts of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") and reversing a ban on flying Confederate flags in military cemeteries. The U.S. Senate refused to go along with those conditions. So Zika research remains unfunded and local health departments are on their own. - Terese Loeb Kreuzer
For information about Zika from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), click here.
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Bits & Bytes
NY WATERWAY FERRY HITS DOCK; WESTFIELD SUES BEBE OVER
WTC SPACE; FORMER 45 JOHN ST. OWNER FILES FOR CHAPTER 11
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The "Sphere," a sculpture by Fritz Koenig that survived the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, has had numerous temporary locations in Battery Park over the last 15 years. This is where it was in September 2008. Now it will be moved to Liberty Park above the Vehicular Security Center. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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"17 Injured When Hudson River Ferry Hits Dock in Jersey City," New York Times, 7/23/16. The New York Times reported that, "Seventeen passengers aboard a ferry on the Hudson River were injured after it struck a dock in Jersey City on Saturday night, a city spokeswoman said. Three people were removed on stretchers and the rest were able to walk off the ferry, the Peter R. Weiss operated by New York Waterway, said the spokeswoman, Jennifer Morrill. All of the injuries were minor, she said. A spokesman for the Coast Guard, Petty Officer Third Class Steve Strohmaier, said the ferry hit the Paulus Hook dock at a 'fast rate of speed' around 7:20 p.m. The ferry, with 57 people on board, was arriving from the World Financial Center in Manhattan when it struck the dock, said Pat Smith, a spokesman for New York Waterway." For the complete article, click here.
"Enduring 'Sphere' Sculpture to Return to World Trade Center Site," New York Times, 7/21/16. "Fritz Koenig's 'Sphere for Plaza Fountain,' once the sculptural centerpiece of the World Trade Center, will be reinstalled there this year, returning a visceral symbol of death and rebirth to an understated - and all but sanitized - landscape," says The New York Times. "The 27-foot-high bronze 'Sphere' will no longer rest on the exact spot it occupied on Sept. 11, 2001, when the twin towers crashed to earth around it. What was once the center of the Austin J. Tobin Plaza, where it stood, would now be in the middle of a restored Greenwich Street. Instead, under a resolution approved on Thursday by the board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the 25-ton piece will be transported from the Battery, hoisted up into the new elevated Liberty Park and set down near the St. Nicholas National Shrine, which is under construction." For the complete article, click here.
"Construction Complete On 11-Story, 106-Unit Luxury Rental Building At 456 Washington Street, Tribeca," New York YIMBY, 7/15/16. "Since last fall, when fa�ade work was wrapping up, construction on the 11-story, 106-unit residential building at 456 Washington Street, located on the corner of Watts Street in TriBeCa, has finished," says New York YIMBY. "The new building encompasses 186,054 square feet and is home to 106 luxury rental apartments, 22 of which will rent at below-market rates through the housing lottery. The apartments, averaging 1,330 square feet apiece, range from studios to five-bedrooms." For the complete article, click here.
"Jack Resnick & Sons Scores $295M Loan From AXA for One Seaport Plaza," Commercial Observer, 7/15/16. "AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company has provided $295 million in debt to Jack Resnick & Sons for the family-run firm's 35-story office tower, One Seaport Plaza, at 199 Water Street," says the Commercial Observer. "The new debt from the life company is being used to refinance $240 million loan provided by Morgan Stanley in 2007, and gives the borrower an additional $55 million in financing, mortgage documents show." For the complete article, click here.
"Bebe's day out: Westfield alleges retailer refuses to take WTC space," therealdeal.com, 7/18/16. The Real Deal reports that, "Bebe's been bad, a new lawsuit filed by its landlord at the World Trade Center mall alleges. Westfield Corp., the Australian real estate giant that controls the massive retail space at the World Trade Center, is suing Bebe, claiming the clothier breached its obligation to the landlord by failing to take possession of the space. Bebe claims the store was neither delivered on time nor in a 'ready condition' for it to occupy, according to the complaint, filed in New York State Supreme Court Monday." For the complete article, click here.
"Final 9/11 Remnants Removed From Hangar in Solemn Ceremony," New York Times, 7/19/16. The New York Times reports that, "The 360-foot-tall antenna once stood atop the north tower of the World Trade Center, transmitting signals to televisions across New York City. It collapsed with the twin towers after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, and six broadcast engineers lost their lives as they tried to keep connections going. For more than a decade, the antenna - actually a rusting, broken, 40,000-pound piece of it - had been housed in Hangar 17 at Kennedy International Airport, along with more than 2,500 other items collected from the rubble of World Trade Center. On Tuesday, that remnant, which connected two other parts of the antenna, was among the final three items to leave Hangar 17. The storage room is now empty, its contents nearly all distributed to museums, exhibits, fire stations and other locations across the country and in 10 foreign countries. A few other items, including a police vehicle and damaged railroad tracks, remain outside the hangar. Hangar 17 will close in the coming weeks and is expected to be demolished, Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said." For the complete article, click here.
"Former 45 John owner files for Chapter 11," therealdeal.com, 7/21/16. "The former owner of 45 John Street, a long-stalled and unfinished condo conversion in the Financial District, is facing more financial woes," says The Real Deal. "Chun Peter Dong and a group of more than a dozen Asian investors, operating under the entity 45 John Lofts LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Wednesday in an effort to recover millions of dollars they claim they were swindled out of by Brooklyn investor Miller and his right-hand man Sam Sprei. The entity's total liabilities are close to $10 million, court records show, even after the building sold for $73 million earlier this year to an LLC controlled by investor Alexander Levin. Miller and Levin are also investors in the Beekman Tower." For the complete article, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board
BPCA SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSES RE SOUTH END AVENUE; VOLUNTEER GARDENERS NEEDED; RIVER PROJECT HARBOR CRUISE TIX ON SALE
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| | Possible changes to South End Avenue are being explored by the Battery Park City Authority, which has hired a consultant, Stantec, to survey residents, small business owners and visitors as to their preferences. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Battery Park City Authority South End Avenue open house: As mentioned at the Battery Par City Authority's Community Meeting on July 20, there will be open houses on Monday, July 25 and Monday, Aug. 1 at 6 River Terrace to see presentations and plans relating to South End Avenue and West Thames Street development. There will be no formal presentation. The BPCA invites people who are interested in the proposals to stop by between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to share their thoughts, view preliminary concepts and talk to the designers who developed them based upon community input. The presentations on both dates will be identical. Battery Park City Parks seeks volunteers: The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy has three volunteer programs: Horticultural volunteers, Master Anglers and corporate volunteers. Horticulture volunteers work alongside BPC Parks' staff horticulturists, who teach volunteers basic horticulture skills as well as basic knowledge of plants, soil and proper maintenance. Volunteers must be available on Wednesday mornings from 7:30 a.m. to noon. The program runs through Oct. 31. Master Anglers program: BPC Parks runs an extensive marine education program for the benefit of New York City's school children and the general public. Master Angler volunteers are avid fisherfolk who want to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with students who come to Wagner Park in Battery Park City with their teachers to learn about the ecology of the Hudson River, and with the public at Go Fish! events. Corporate volunteers: Battery Park City Parks works with corporate groups interested in giving back to this community. Help with clean up and gardening are needed but the size of the group and the time of year will determine potential projects. BPCPC charges a fee if there are materials or equipment required to accommodate the group. If your company is interested in supporting the parks of Battery Park City through volunteerism email info@bpcparks.org. Include the size of your group, the time of year your group would like to work, and the day of the week/time of day. For more information about these volunteer programs, call (212) 267-9700.
Battery Park City Lost and Found: Plenty of things are lost in Battery Park City, according to Patrick Murphy, AlliedBarton's BPC manager for operations. AlliedBarton is responsible for patrolling 92-acre Battery Park City and dealing with safety and quality-of-life issues. Murphy told Community Board 1's Battery Park City Committee that he could "open a shop" with the number and variety of skateboards that had been left behind by their owners. But many other things turn up as well. To contact AlliedBarton's lost and found, call (212) 945-7233 or email bpcallied@bpca.ny.gov.
Museum of American Finance Launches audio tour: The Museum of American Finance at 48 Wall St. has launched a 12-stop audio tour of its permanent exhibits. The tour was developed in partnership with Antenna - a leading innovative multi-media story-telling company - and is narrated by a variety of experts including the Museum's president and curators, as well as CNN founding financial editor Myron Kandel and architectural historian Damien Cregeau. The tour features the backstories of several of the Museum's most popular collections and exhibitions, including objects from the Crash of '29; a stock certificate issued to Ponzi scheme artist Bernie Madoff; rare high-denomination currency; and the solid gold and jewel encrusted Monopoly Set by artist Sidney Mobell, on loan from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The most in-depth stop on the audio tour is the 1880 plaster study of the Alexander Hamilton statue by Carl Conrads, which was commissioned by Hamilton's son as a gift to the city of New York. The study stands just outside the Alexander Hamilton Room - the Museum's permanent tribute to the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury. Also on July 12, in honor of the 212th anniversary of Hamilton's death, the Museum has unveiled several new additions to this exhibit, such as an original copy of Hamilton's obituary and a rare 1804 collection of documents pertaining to his death in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr. This includes correspondence leading up to the duel, Hamilton's last will and testament, the eulogies of his friends and colleagues and detailed information on his funeral ceremony. The audio guides are available to visitors on a first come, first served basis for $2 per person. MoAF members and visitors with visual or other impairments will be granted free usage of the guides. For more information about the museum, click here.
Get Low 2016: The Alliance for Downtown New York's popular summer program, Get Low, is back for the third year with restaurant discounts on Tuesdays through Aug. 30. The program brings special deals to Downtown diners with discounts at 34 restaurants every Tuesday night after 4 p.m. Photograph your meal and post the picture to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #DownIsWhatsUp for a chance to win one of the weekly prizes for the most interesting posts. All participants who tag @ICECulinary will be entered to win the grand prize - a cooking course for two at the Institute for Culinary Education's new Brookfield Place location. The Institute will also offer all participants a 20 percent discount on their Tuesday night classes. For more information on the program, click here.
Sunset Yoga at Wagner Park: Come to Wagner Park at the southern end of Battery Park City for free yoga instruction. The class is suitable for people of all levels. Wednesdays through Sept. 28. Time: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Free (but bring your own mat). Click here for more information.
BPC Running Club: After warming up at the Community Center at Stuyvesant High School, 345 Chambers St., members of Battery Park City's Running Club jog along the BPC waterfront followed by cool-down exercises. Thursdays through Aug. 25. Time: 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
Sunset Jam on the Hudson: Join a drumming circle in Battery Park City, led by master drummers. Instruments are provided or bring your own. Place: Wagner Park (at the southern end of Battery Park City.) Fridays, through Aug. 26. Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
River Project Anniversary Harbor Cruise: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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 July 26 and Aug. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. 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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From the South Street Seaport Museum Collection THE DEVLIN BROTHERS FETE THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
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| A trade card from Devlin & Co. Department Store celebrating the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. (Courtesy of the South Street Seaport Museum)
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(Note from the editor: The South Street Seaport Museum has an extensive collection of artifacts and memorabilia, much of it not currently on display. This is the first in what will be a regular feature in Downtown Post NYC highlighting artifacts from the collection.)
Devlin & Co. Department Store, which sold clothing for men and boys as well as military uniforms, distributed this trade card in 1876 to celebrate the centennial of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Trade cards were often very colorful and were like today's business cards, only larger, with information about the business and its location.
The Devlin brothers, Daniel J. Devlin and Jeremiah, were Irish by birth. Daniel emigrated first, settling in Louisville, Kentucky but later moving to New York City when Jeremiah arrived from Ireland. In 1843, they opened a men's clothing store at the corner of Nassau and John Streets. By the 1850s, the Devlin's business was flourishing. In 1854 the brothers relocated their shop to Broadway at Warren Street. Four years later they began construction of a sister store that spanned two lots, 459 and 461 Broadway at the corner of Grand Street.
Completed in 1861, the five-story building was a distinguished edifice. The AIA Guide to New York
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459 Broadway
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City described it as "A late Italianate temple of commerce whose beautifully weathered stone surfaces are pierced with ranks of finely proportioned rounded windows." From both stores the Devlins sold ready-made suits for all occasions, custom-made suits, and accessories such as shirts, underwear, collars, cuffs, umbrellas and neckwear.
A story about the Devlins surfaced in The New York Times on July 31, 1864. A large quantity of merchandise was going missing from their store "in so mysterious a manner as to cause the proprietors of the establishment to take active measures to ferret out the guilty persons." A couple of police officers staked out the store, working "long and vigilantly. They set a close watch over all the clerks in the establishment, and when it is remembered that there are over one hundred clerks in that establishment, it will be seen that the task was not an easy one." The thief, or thieves, continued to evade the police. "Coats, vests and pantaloons disappeared in an unaccountable manner," The Times reported. The thief took only the finest articles. Finally an employee of the store, one Reuben Decker, was nabbed and arrested. "He was caught in the act of selling a new suit of clothes, which he had taken from Devlin's store to a couple of Frenchmen named Peter Marocier and John Daglo, whom he had met at a lager-beer saloon in Broome Street," said The Times.
Justice was done. After a hearing at the Lower Police Court, all of the guilty parties were sent to the pokey without bail.
In 1880, after financial reverses, the Devlin company shut down all but its Warren Street store. Daniel Devlin had died in 1867. Jeremiah Devlin died suddenly of a heart attack on Aug. 11, 1893. The business closed completely in 1897.
However, the building at 459 Broadway is still there. It was renovated between 2006 and 2011 by Joseph Pell Lombardi Architects, creating commercial space on the ground floor and apartments on the floors above.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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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 MEETING: Week of July 25
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| | Memorials affixed to a traffic light at Chambers and West Streets express grief for Olga Evgleska Cook, 30, who was on her bicycle when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver on June 11 as she rode south on the West Street bike path. The New York City Department of Transportation is only now beginning to consider what changes to make at this and other West Street intersections to prevent additional fatalities. At Community Board 1's full board meeting, the Quality of Life Committee will present a report on what happened and what corrective measures are in progress. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
July 26: CB 1 Monthly Meeting - 6:00 p.m.
Location: DC37 - Auditorium
125 Barclay St.
(ID required to enter building)
Agenda
I. Public Session
Comments by members of the public (6 p.m. to 7 p.m.) (1-2 minutes per speaker)
II. Business Session
A) Adoption of June 2016 minutes
B) Chairperson's Report - A. Notaro
C) District Manager's Report - N. Pfefferblit
D) Treasurer's Report - J. Kopel
III. Committee Reports
A) Executive Committee - A . Notaro
* Discussion of what committee mandate and objectives should be - Report
* Discussion of CB1 committee structure - Report
B) Landmarks Committee - R. Byrom
* 405 Broadway, application for renewal of approval of Master Plan - Resolution
* Broad Street near Exchange Place, application for installation of two subway access elevators within the Street Plan of New Amsterdam and Colonial New York Historic District - Resolution
* 90 Hudson Street, application for installation of ADA ramp - Resolution
C) Youth & Education Committee - P. Hovitz
* Request by Portfolio School for Drop-off Zone - Resolution
* Health and Safety Issues at Imagination Playground - Report
* Overcrowding Task Force - Report
D) Battery Park City Committee - N. Segarra
* 21 South End Avenue, application for restaurant liquor license for Ningbo Caf� - Resolution
* Offshore Sailing School, Ltd., Inc. - Report
* BPCA Permit Request - Report
* Zika Virus - Report
* Battery Park City Authority - Report
* Allied Barton Ambassadors - Report
E) Quality of Life Committee - P. Moore
* NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer's Sun Screen Initiative - Resolution
* Crane regulations - Report
* Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment - Report
* TD Five Borough Bike Tour - Report
* Sanitation and other quality of life issues in Community Board 1 - Report
* Recent traffic accident at Chambers and West Streets - Report
* GrowNYC Recycling program - Report
* Construction forum - Report
F) Seaport/Civic Center Committee - M. Pasanella
* Minor modifications to previously approved Pier 17 ULURP - Resolution
G) Planning Committee - P. Kennell
* Relocation of the World Trade Center Sphere to Liberty Park - Resolution
* Triple Bottom Line analysis - Report
* Pace University Small Business Development Center - Report
* NYC DEP Stormwater Management plans - Report
* Zoning non-compliant buildings in Community District 1 - Report
H) Tribeca Committee - A. Blank
* 105-107 Chambers St., Board of Standards and Appeals application for a Special Permit to legalize an existing Physical Culture Establishment, Tribeca Health & Fitness - Resolution
* 113 Reade St., application for liquor license for Serafina Tribeca Restaurant LLC - Resolution
* Street Activity Permit Office application by Avenues for Justice, Friday, Sept. 16, 2016, Warren Street between Broadway and Church Street - Resolution
* 251 Church St., application to the SLA to include a sidewalk caf� for Two Hands Tribeca - Resolution
* 241 West Broadway, application for liquor license for White Walker LLC - Resolution
* 62 Thomas St., application for restaurant liquor license for Elmwood Venture LLC d/b/a Buddha Bar - Report
* Tribeca zoning - Report
I) Financial District Committee - S. Cole
* 68-74 Trinity Place/103-109 Greenwich, application pursuant to section 72-21 of the Zoning Resolution for a Board of Standards and Appeals variance to facilitate the development of a Parish House and Commercial Tower - Resolution
* 23 Park Place, application for sidewalk caf� license for Murray Place Inc. d/b/a Barleycorn - Resolution
* World Trade Center - Upper Level, application for bar/tavern wine, beer and cider license for NuNu Chocolates NYC02, LLC - Resolution
* 123 Washington St., application for restaurant liquor license for an entity to be formed by Brian Crawford - Resolution
* 21 Rector St., application for a restaurant liquor license for 21 Rector LLC d/b/a Jerry Liberatas - Resolution
* Hearing on Helicopter Concession, 11 July 2016 at 2:30 p.m. - Resolution
* Shared Streets - Report
* Broadway Phase 1 Reconstruction Project - Report
* Relocation of 9/11 Tribute Center - Report
* Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment - Report
J) Financial District Committee - S. Cole
Landmarks Committee - R. Byrom
Planning Committee P. Kennell
* 28 Liberty Street/Chase Plaza Deed Restriction Modification - Resolution
IV. Old Business
V. New Business
VI. Adjournment
Community Board 1 will not be conducting any meetings during the month August.
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CALENDAR: Week of July 25
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| | Rachel Policar as Goldele and the ensemble in "The Golden Bride," produced by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City. An operetta with a cast of 20 and a 14-piece orchestra, it runs through Aug. 28. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
July 25: "The Golden Bride," a Yiddish operetta that premiered in February 1923 and ran for 18 weeks in a 2,000-seat theater on the Lower East Side, has returned to the Museum of Jewish Heritage in an enthralling production staged by the National Yiddish Theatre
Folksbiene. It is sung in Yiddish with supertitles in English and Russian that make the words accessible for everyone. The charming and touching story revolves around love and money, the seduction of American dreams for residents of an impoverished Russian shtetl and the pangs and triumphs of immigrants trying to find their footing in a new land. A brilliant production, not to be missed. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through Aug. 28, 2016. Place: 36 Battery Place. Tickets: $50 (premium seats); $40 (regular seats); $30 (Museum of Jewish Heritage and National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene members). Group rates available. For tickets and for more information, call (866) 811-4111 or click here.
July 26: Summer Dance brings storytelling and interactive Native dance sessions to the National Museum of the American Indian. Ty Defoe (Giizhig) integrates singing, storytelling and hoop dancing in an interactive performance. Also, July 27 and 28. Place: National Museum of the American Indian, 1 Bowling Green. Times: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
July 27: Join a New York City Audubon Society Eco-cruise aboard New York Water Taxi for a thrilling glimpse of New York Harbor's wildlife. The tour on July 27 goes to Hoffman and Swinburne Islands, man-made islands on the far side of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge
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A herring gull returning to Swinburne Island for the night.
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between Brooklyn and Staten Island, for sightings of herons, egrets, fish crows and cormorants and a dose of history about the islands that were constructed in the late 19th century to quarantine sick immigrants on their arrival in New York harbor. Other Audubon Eco-cruises go to the Brother Islands (on Aug. 3 and Aug. 10) in the East River where herons, egrets, and cormorants nest. North Brother Island was a prison for Typhoid Mary (Mary Mallon), an asymptomatic carrier of the pathogen that causes typhoid fever. She was incarcerated there for years because she had infected (and killed) many people by working as a cook. On Aug. 10 the Audubon Society Ecocruise goes to Jamaica Bay, a stunning 25,000 acre nature preserve entirely within New York City. It is home to terns, peregrine falcons, glossy ibis, ospreys, gulls and numerous wading birds. Place: All eco-cruises leave from Pier 16 in the South Street Seaport. For the Hoffman/Swinburne cruise, time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets: $35 (adults); $25 (children, 3 to 12). For more information, click here.
July 28: The fourth night of the annual River & Blues Festival in Battery Park City features Brooklyn trio Daddy Long Legs. Place: Wagner Park. Time: 7 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
July 28: See a screening of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as part of a Thursday evening "movie night" in Lower Manhattan. Free popcorn and food for purchase. Every Thursday through Aug. 25. Presented by Fosun in partnership with the Downtown Alliance. Place: 28 Liberty Plaza. Time: 8 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
July 28: Arts Brookfield and Rooftop Films team up at Brookfield Place to present three nights of independent film screenings starting on July 28 with Animation Block Party - a selection of this year's best animated short films. On Friday, July 29, see The Best of New York Nonfiction, a collection of documentary shorts shown throughout the 20-year history of Rooftop Films that depict New York as a city full of opinionated walkers, bike messengers, bike thieves, Shakespearian birds, and street furniture. In Pursuit of Silence on Saturday, July 30 explores the intrusion of noise on humankind. Audience members will be provided with headphones to watch the film. In lieu of live music, the July 30 presentation kicks off with a guided meditation. Place: Brookfield Place at North Cove Marina. Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Live music at 7:30 p.m. Screenings at 8:30 p.m. Q&A at 10 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
July 30: This summer, Poets House will have an outpost on Governors Island - "New York
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Second, third and fourth graders from three Lower Manhattan schools created a book of poetry called "New York City Poetry Picnic" and illustrated it with collages and drawings.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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City Poetry Picnic" - with an exhibition of art and poetry by Lower Manhattan students. There will also be a pop-up library of books on loan from Poets House's 70,000-volume poetry library. Activities will include a portrait-on-a-plate workshop and an ode station where visitors can create short poems that Poets House will share via social media. Saturdays and Sundays through Aug. 14. Place: Nolan Park, Building 4B on Governors Island. Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: The 24th Annual Poets House Poetry Publication Showcase at Poets House features all of the new poetry books and poetry-related texts published in the United States in a single year from over 650 commercial, university, and independent presses. It is accompanied by the Showcase Reading Series during which established and emerging poets read from their books in the exhibition. The reading series takes place on Thursdays, through Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. The exhibition continues through Aug. 20, Tuesdays through Saturdays, during Poets House's normal hours. Place: 10 River Terrace. 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: "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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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
All articles and photographs in Downtown Post NYC are copyrighted and
may not be reprinted or republished without written permission.
� 2016
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