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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 3, No. 38 Aug. 13, 2016
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QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"What problem is the Battery Park City Authority trying to solve with this project? Before we know whether this is worth doing, or worth the cost, or worth the impact and disruption, we need to know why they want to do this in the first place."
- Battery Park City resident Justine Cuccia commenting on the Battery Park City Authority's proposals for redoing South End Avenue
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: A tiger lily in bloom in Battery Park City's Wagner Park. Aug. 7, 2016
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
 BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY'S PROPOSALS FOR SOUTH END AVENUE OPPOSED BY MANY BPC RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS
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| Battery Park City resident Justine Cuccia speaking at a rally on Aug. 11 opposing the Battery Park City Authority's proposals for South End Avenue and urging that Battery Park City residents be appointed to the BPCA board of directors. The rally was organized by Gigi Li, a candidate for New York State Assembly in the 65th AD.
(Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
A rally opposing the Battery Park City Authority's proposals for South End Avenue and urging that Battery Park City residents be appointed to the BPCA board of directors was supposed to start at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 11, but the guest of honor was late. Gigi Li, a candidate for New
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Gigi Li with Battery Park City resident and business owner, Denise Cordivano.
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York State Assembly in the 65th Assembly District, had organized the rally. She let it be known that she was on her way, but was stuck in traffic. When she finally arrived, she said it had taken her 50 minutes to get from Park Row to South End Avenue in Battery Park City aboard the M9 bus. The bus driver told Li that what with construction, taxis and one-way streets, it was like that every morning. This was a good segue into what Li had come to talk about - the Battery Park City Authority's proposals for redoing South End Avenue. Based on a survey conducted by Stantec, a consulting firm that the BPCA had hired, the proposals include making South End Avenue narrower by expanding the sidewalks. One Stantec proposal called for making South End Avenue one way between Liberty and Albany Streets, presumably to make crossing the street easier on pedestrians.
"There are plans to redesign South End Avenue that we believe are not community driven," said Li.
"Repeatedly, the BPCA has failed to adequately consult the community it serves," said City Councilmember Margaret Chin, who attended the rally in support of Li's candidacy for New York State Assembly.
A succession of Battery Park City residents came to the microphone to say that Chin and Li were correct. They indicated that neither Stantec nor the Battery Park City Authority had a real understanding of the issues on South End Avenue.
Denise Cordivano, a resident of Battery Park City and the owner of the Battery Park City Day Nursery, said, "I think that the Battery Park City Authority needs to take a walk around the neighborhood and see what's here."
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Morning traffic on South End Avenue.
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As she spoke, South End Avenue was backed up with traffic. " Just behind us, you can see the traffic problems that we have, and if you imagine this as a one-way street, or if you imagine it as a street that is narrower, there is going to be even more congestion," she said.
"The firm that made the proposals obviously didn't observe anybody's use of this neighborhood and it's not even a workable plan," said BPC resident Buff Kavelman, who spoke from experience. She has a Masters Degree from the Architecture, Planning and Design Program at Columbia and formerly headed the grant-making program in that area for the National Endowment for the Arts.
"We have traffic," said Tammy Meltzer, a resident of Gateway Plaza and a member of Community Board 1. "The Community Board and the community worked with the Department
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Tammy Meltzer
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of Transportation for over two years in a clear and transparent process to formulate a plan to enhance the safety of BPC." She said that these efforts had paid off with stop signs on West Thames Street and on Battery Place but then "the BPCA shut down any plans that the Department of Transportation had for South End Avenue. This year, the BPCA initiated a process with a survey. We have heard from many people that this was flawed. There was minimal input compared with the prior process with the Department of Transportation - rushed presentation meetings with only days' notice, which many people in the community did not know about."
She faulted the recommendations for having "no clarity detailing what the total objectives were and the rationale behind the scale and the scope of the project. We asked for safe crossings. We asked for improvements. We did not ask as a community for an entire redesign of the landscape and the quality of life." This comment was greeted with applause.
BPC resident Justine Cuccia said that the options that Stantec had shared with the community were unacceptable. They "would worsen traffic jams on already-congested streets, take away parking spaces, and make it harder for residents to load and unload at their buildings, not to mention severely restricting the ability for new residents to move in and those leaving our community to move out."
Some of these options would "make it harder for deliveries to our buildings, for school buses to pick up and drop off our children, for vans that serve the elderly and disabled, and for public transit vehicles, like the M9, the M20, and the Downtown Connection shuttle, to serve our community," Cuccia said.
As for small businesses, the Stantec proposals would make it harder for customers to get to their front doors, and make it more difficult and more expensive to accept the deliveries that these businesses depend on, Cuccia continued, predicting that "Turning their entryways into a construction zone will drive them out of business. And we will lose more establishments that have always been the fabric of Battery Park City."
Bad as this was, Cuccia said that the worst part was that "narrower streets, wider medians, and changed traffic patterns will make it harder for ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars to get to our front doors in an emergency."
Several speakers wondered how much the South End Avenue proposals would cost and if anything were to be implemented, how long the construction would take and what the impact would be on the community.
"What problem is the BPCA trying to solve with this project?" Cuccia asked. "Before we know whether this is worth doing, or worth the cost, or worth the impact and disruption, we need to know why they want to do this in the first place. Exactly what is broken about South End Avenue that needs fixing? And 'fixing' in such a large-scale, disruptive manner?"
Beyond questions about the South End Avenue survey and proposals, the underlying issue for the speakers at the rally was that the Battery Park City Authority board of directors has only one member who actually lives in Battery Park City.
Li said that she would fight to get three Battery Park City residents on the board "so that there is material input from residents who have built this neighborhood."
That fight would have to be waged in Albany. The Battery Park City Authority board of directors is appointed by the New York State governor.
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Marcia Shulman, who asked, "Do we all chip in and get a bus and go to Albany?"
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"It seems to me that the BPCA willfully disregards the community," said BPC resident Marcia Shulman. "My question is, how do we elevate this to another level? Do we all chip in and get a bus and go to Albany?"
On behalf of the Battery Park City Authority, spokesperson Nicholas Sbordone said that the Battery Park City residents had nothing to worry about. Their ideas would be heard.
"Right now, all we're doing is exploring," he said. "What is available on our website and what was displayed at our community input meetings were ideas about possible ways in which the area may be enhanced. We continue to invite input on the development of these concepts as part of what is and will remain an iterative, deliberate, public process."
The BPCA states that no work is currently planned on the South End Avenue/West Thames Street corridor and that if anything more definite results from the Stantec survey and proposals, there will be additional opportunities for public input before any design decisions are made.
Based on the feedback received, the BPCA intends to develop two concepts this fall and then solicit additional input from the community, City government agencies, and other relevant parties.
Maybe the BPCA will decide to move ahead in some way, or maybe not. Whatever happens, said Cuccia, "we are calling upon the Authority to create working groups in which residents get to sit at the table and participate in decisions like what should become of our Main Street, and whether we need to do anything to it at all to it - at the beginning of the process, not halfway through or at the end."
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer|
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Maryanne Braverman, who has lived in Battery Park City since 1982. "The board is not tuned in to what residents want and need," she said. "We need people who live in this community to participate in the decisions being made on our behalf. We need local residents to be appointed to the Battery Park City Authority board."
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AT TWO OPEN HOUSES, BPC RESIDENTS LEAVE COMMENTS ON THE BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY'S SOUTH END AVENUE PROPOSALS
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| At an open house on July 25 organized by the Battery Park City Authority, BPC residents could review and comment on proposals for redoing South End Avenue.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
The Battery Park City Authority wanted to know what BPC residents thought about its proposals for redoing South End Avenue, and at open houses on July 25 and Aug. 1, it found out.
In the spring of 2015, the BPCA had hired Stantec, a consulting company, to create a survey to assess how BPC residents and business owners as well as visitors to Battery Park City (workers and tourists) felt about traffic issues on South End Avenue and about the streetscape, including the arcades that are a prominent architectural feature of three South End Avenue blocks. The survey was answered by 568 Battery Park City residents and by 260 people who either work in the area or were visiting.
Under the terms of its $272,000 contract, Stantec was required to submit proposals for traffic calming and for streetscape alterations based on this information.
At the two open houses, Stantec presented its ideas and Battery Park City residents and business owners were invited to comment.
There were three options for traffic calming and three options for alterations to the arcaded
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| | | A detail of one of Stantec's three proposals for traffic calming on South End Avenue. It shows medians at Rector Place and in front of Gateway Plaza. Post-It notes from Battery Park City residents said that these medians would make it impossible to make a left turn when exiting from the western side of Rector Place or from the Gateway Plaza garage. | |
buildings. Among other things, Stantec proposed widening the sidewalks along South End Avenue, thus narrowing the street. One of the three options for traffic calming entailed making part of South End Avenue and Albany Street one way. All three options would have eliminated some of the parking places on South End Avenue. All of the plans closed the cul-de-sac at the southern end of South End Avenue to traffic, turning it into a recreational plaza. The proposals for the arcades ranged from eliminating them by extending storefronts into the spaces currently occupied by the arcades, to doing modest refurbishments of signage and lighting. The proposals showed seating and planters on the expanded sidewalks.
A violent thunderstorm on July 25 kept many people away from the open house, but on Aug.
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Mike Russell of Stantec talking with Battery Park City residents at the Open House on Aug. 1.
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1, the large room at 6 River Terrace was crowded. A new, simplified survey at the open houses gave attendees an opportunity to comment specifically on what had been shown to them that night. Ten people filled it out on July 25. On Aug. 1, there were 42 responses. All of them have been posted online on the Battery Park City Authority's website.
Some of the respondents liked part of the proposals. ("Overall, South End Avenue is very dated and these efforts will be a tremendous facelift," said one resident.) But those who liked the proposals or even some limited part of them were in the minority.
Here are some excerpts from the comments:
General:
The three options do not seem to work for the residents.
Please do not make any changes. Things fine as it is.
I have been living in a construction zone for 30+ years. I object to any new construction for the next 30. We do not need any of this.
Pedestrian crosswalks:
I think much of the speeding along South End Avenue could be controlled by adding some stop signs and crosswalks at Rector Place and South End Avenue.
I have limited vision and have no problems with current situation. I cross at lights or designated crosswalk.
Vehicle traffic/conflicts:
Streets too narrow in the plans.
Proposals to narrow South End Avenue will affect deliveries.
I see lots of problems with narrower roadway causing congestion.
One-way street proposals not practical.
Removing street lanes will cause major congestion.
Keep two-way streets including Albany Street. We need to maintain entrance and exit options into the neighborhood.
We need to continue to have two-way traffic throughout Battery Park City. There is already very little access to West Street and the plan in option 3 would only allow exiting on Albany Street [not also on Liberty Street, as presently]. Also the neighborhood is often "closed" because of parades, runs, etc., and this would only exacerbate that problem.
One-way traffic is a completely asinine idea.
Taxis, black cars, buses:
I think more emphasis should be given on limiting tour bus traffic in the neighborhood.
Eliminate tour buses. They double park and run their engines.
Commercial vehicle loading/unloading:
There must be places for residents and delivery trucks to unload.
Loading and unloading is a fact of life on South End Avenue. We have commercial stores, so they need to receive their goods.
Parking:
I am concerned that the proposed changes will significantly shrink available street parking in the neighborhood.
I think that the neighborhood cannot afford to lose more street parking.
Do not get rid of any public parking spaces - not one!
I understand that parking is pretty much a nightmare in BPC. Perhaps the garages in the area could be a bit more affordable for residents.
There have to be spaces for commercial vehicles that provide services to the residential and commercial buildings. Repair companies, contractors don't want to service BPC because parking is so limited.
Sidewalk conditions:
They're fine. The sidewalks don't need to be wider.
They don't need to be wider. Not necessary.
Sidewalks are good as is.
Sidewalks are fine as they are.
While the west side [of South End Avenue] between Albany and Liberty could use additional width, the disaster caused by reducing the street width is overwhelming.
Street amenities:
More seating isn't needed. Lots on the esplanade.
No one would sit on South End Avenue with the esplanade so close. No need to try.
Neighborhood is excellent as it is. No need to burden families with expensive projects just to justify BPCA existence.
Storefronts, arcades, signage:
Leave the arcades alone! They are a wonderful amenity. They provide protection from ice, snow, wind, rain and harsh sun in the summer. Some of the restaurants put tables and chairs in the arcades for outdoor dining in the good weather. The arcades are lovely just the way they are.
I think this will be unnecessarily burdensome on existing businesses.
Do not close arcades.
Arcades are great. If building owners want to improve signage, they should be allowed but we shouldn't pay for them to profit.
Leave them alone. This is a residential neighborhood and most of the retail is for residents, not tourists.
Keep the arcades. Residents love them. I am opposed to any changes except OK to allow signs to hang off the sides.
The arcades are critical to the neighborhood, particularly the disabled. My wheelchair-bound family member relies on them daily.
Enclosing the arcades is a ridiculous idea, destined to kill existing retailers.
Other:
[I'm] concerned about [the] cost of [the] project versus benefit to the community. I think that the community would rather see other priorities taken care of.
DOT (Department of Transportation) plan was much smarter. [A DOT plan in 2013 proposed some modest traffic-calming measures.] Most of these suggestions do more harm than good while simple traffic calming would be great.
Why are they making (proposing) these changes to the neighborhood? Who benefits from these changes? (besides tourists)?
Concerned about any notion to build out arcades along South End Avenue between West Thames and Rector Place because this would essentially put our store of 25 years out of business.
How can you take space on South End Avenue away from buildings south of West Thames? Two buildings have entrances there!
How would this be paid for?
I think this is a waste of time and money when the priority should be resiliency.
The priority in any redesign should be to accommodate neighborhood residents. Tourists do not live here. We do.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer
To see all of the responses from July 25, click here. To see all of the responses from Aug. 1, click here. The Battery Park City Authority continues to solicit feedback on the South End Avenue/West Thames Street Study. To submit a comment, email design.review@bpca.ny.gov. |
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Battery Park City residents Mike O'Brien and Collie Jennings talking with Donna Walcavage, a landscape architect with Stantec, and Gwen Dawson, vice president of real property at the Battery Park City Authority, at an open house on Aug. 1 organized by the BPCA to hear comments from the BPC community about the Battery Park City Authority's proposals for redoing South End Avenue.
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Letters to the editor
IF THIS IS THE SOLUTION, WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
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A Fresh Direct truck making a delivery on Rector Place in Battery Park City.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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(Note from the editor: Responding to a request from Downtown Post NYC for comments on the Stantec South End Avenue proposals, Anthony Notaro and Ninfa Segarra said the following. Both are long-time residents of Battery Park City. Notaro is chairperson of Community Board 1 and Segarra is chairperson of CB1's Battery Park City Committee.)
I looked at all the options and obviously there are elements in each that are attractive and some that aren't.
At the outset, the infilling of the arcades is a problem since it burdens the individual building/condo owners with an expense that seems to have little benefit. If these are the solutions, then what is the problem they fix?
It seems to me that this all started with the traffic-calming issues on South End Avenue and has now morphed into something much bigger. I do understand the value in doing things at the same time and things should be looked at holistically. That makes sense but today things have changed since the Community Board worked with the NYC Department of Transportation and received their recommendations. For one thing, we have all changed our buying habits resulting in the massive use of delivery for all things from food to gifts to clothes to anything you can imagine that can now be ordered online and delivered in hours. That is something that we cannot stop but we must address and this study didn't take social and economic changes into account. When you ask someone about retailing in BPC, do we ask them about their buying habits and how much they buy on line rather than in brick and mortar? Why build more places that become obsolete with the next new app?
My suggestion is to reframe the question about what we need of South End Avenue in today's world and the first priority should be residents and our current retailers, not a transient population.
Anthony Notaro
I agree with Anthony...especially on the question - what is the problem?
The New York City Department of Transportation proposal was finalized in December 2014 after more than a year of direct consultation with the community. The community board was able to provide extensive consultation to that report.
From January 2015 until December 2015, BPCA didn't dialogue with the community about how and why it would conduct a fuller analysis. Prior to hiring a consultant, nor when they started, BPCA did not seek any insights from the community to shape the survey - what is the problem?
The consultants worked in a vacuum in the development and implementation of the survey. They have based the recommendations on their interpretation of the survey results. To date, the community has not been able to discuss with the consultants regarding the methodology of the survey, their interpretation of the results, the viability of the survey and the basis of their conclusions.
Ninfa Segarra
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Bits & Bytes
3 WORLD TRADE CENTER ACCIDENT; WESTFIELD WTC SET TO OPEN AUG. 16; TRIBECA TRIPLEX COMES WITH KEITH HARING MURAL
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| 3 World Trade Center, under construction. The 80-story building, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, topped out on June 24, 2016. It is scheduled to be finished in 2018. Part of a crane smashed into the building on Aug. 11.
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
"Speculation Ends: Date and Venue Set for World Chess Championship in New York," New York Times, 8/9/16. "The world championship will be held at the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan, Ilya Merenzon, the head of Agon Limited, told The New York Times on Monday. Joel Lippman, the events director for the Seaport, confirmed the arrangement. The tournament pits the current champion, Magnus Carlsen, 25, a charismatic Norwegian who appeared in ads for the sportswear company G-Star RAW, against the Russian challenger, Sergey Karjakin, 26, who will come to the match a decided underdog." The 12-game match will be played between Nov. 11 and Nov. 30. For the complete article, click here.
"Tribeca triplex with original Keith Haring mural gets $2 million price chop," Curbed.com, 8/9/16. "A massive triplex in Tribeca's American Thread Building that last sold in January 2015 for $10 million is back on the market-and having trouble nabbing a buyer," says Curbed.com. "While the loft and building are undoubtedly beautifully designed, it has one standout feature: a Keith Haring mural composed of shoe polish and rubbing alcohol, an echo of the building's use as an exhibit space for the School of Visual Arts." Although the price of loft was initially raised to $14 million when it reappeared on the market, the asking price is now $11.995 million." For the complete article, click here.
Westfield World Trade Center set to open Aug. 16: Most of the 100 stores in Westfield World Trade Center will officially open at noon on Aug. 16. They will be located in the Oculus designed by Santiago Calatrava, in street-level space in WTC Towers 3 and 4 and in galleries that run underground through the World Trade Center site. In addition to retail stores and restaurants, there will be events, entertainment and high-technology showrooms.
Apple will have a store on the lower level of the Oculus. Some of the other headliners for Westfield include Bose, Banana Republic, Lacoste, Sephora, Kiehl's, MAC, Cole Haan, Stuart Weitzman, Breitling and London Jewelers.
Opening day will be celebrated from noon to 6 p.m. with activities throughout the site, hourly stage performances in the Oculus and free food samples. Among the groups scheduled to perform will be the Harlem Gospel Choir and the "School of Rock" cast. Just before noon, there will be a flag commemoration ceremony held in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Families and individuals with a special connection to the World Trade Center site will be invited to participate in the day's events.
Eataly opened its second Manhattan location on the third floor of World Trade Center Tower 4 on Thursday, Aug. 11. According to WABC-TV ("Eataly opens 2nd Manhattan location at WTC in Financial District, 8/11/16), "The new market features a bakery, various Italian restaurants with different style, a food 'university,' a pastry joint and even a coffee caf� and juice bar." Eataly will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. For photographs of Eataly at the World Trade Center, click here.
"Contractor found guilty in WTC rebuild fraud," New York Post, 8/10/16. "A Manhattan federal jury found contractor Larry Davis guilty of defrauding the Port Authority into giving him almost $1 billion to rebuild the area destroyed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks - including 1 WTC - by pretending he was working alongside minority-owned businesses," says the New York Post. "In reality, the women and minority-owned businesses involved were fakes run by the likes of Johnny Garcia, who admitted during the trial that the only work he did to build the new tower was to play the 'minority card' on behalf of Davis." According to the Post, "The jury deliberated for less than a day before it found Davis, the CEO of steel company DCM Erectors, guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces as much as 40 years in prison." For the complete article, click here. "Wrecking ball smashes into 12th-floor window of World Trade Center," Daily News, 8/11/16. "A wrecking ball smashed into the under-construction 3 World Trade Center Thursday night, lodging part of the crane it was attached to in a 12th-floor window," says the Daily News. "Cops say bad weather sent the crane out of control, and it hit the 83-story building at about 8 p.m. The wrecking ball itself stayed outside the window, but the pulley assembly got stuck in the glass, city Office of Emergency Management spokeswoman Nancy Silvestri said. Firefighters are in the process of tying down the assembly to remove it, she said." For the complete article, click here. "The Banana Man of Lower Manhattan," New York Times, 8/12/16. "Abdulhamed Kharma, a sidewalk fruit vendor in Lower Manhattan, says he always tries to live up to his last name," The New York Times reports. Mr. Kharma believes that, "The more you give, the more you receive. That's what is called good karma. The fruit I would choose for myself, I give to my brother." According to The Times, Mr Kharma gives away a ripe banana with most purchases. "He sells them for 35 cents apiece, but with Mr. Kharma, the more you buy, the more you receive. He is skillful and persistent at persuading customers to buy more fruit. He will give you three bananas for a dollar, or seven for $2. He says he can sell 1,000 bananas or more on a decent day at his small stand at the southeast corner of West Broadway and Park Place, at the south end of TriBeCa." For the complete article, click here
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SHARED STREETS: LOWER MANHATTAN ON SATURDAY, Aug. 13
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| Louise Nevelson plaza at the junction of William Street and Maiden Lane is one of the places featured in the Creative Insider's Guide to Lower Manhattan, presented by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) and part of Shared Streets. The Creative Insider's Guide explores the history of Lower Manhattan's iconic architecture and the ground-breaking artists who have lived and worked here. During Shared Streets, see an excerpt of the guide along Water Street between Maiden Lane and Wall Streets, exhibited in the DOT Art Program's display cases. See the complete guide by clicking here. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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There will be trivia questions. There will be walking and bicycle tours. There will be games and music. There will be a free map showing almost everything that has ever happened in Lower Manhattan. There will be a scavenger hunt and bicycle repair and an art exhibit and a pop-up reading room with books from area institutions such as the National Museum of the American Indian, the Skyscraper Museum, the China Institute and others. There will be discounted and free museum admissions. There will be discounted food.
So much to see and do and so little time! Shared Streets: Lower Manhattan is taking place on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Park Row and The Battery and between Broadway and the East River. The New York City Department of Transportation is the impresario. Pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles will share the streets, but to give the pedestrians and cyclists an even chance, motorists will be encouraged to drive at 5 mph.
For more information about Shared Streets, click here.
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Downtown bulletin board
FREE SWIMMING AND YOGA FOR SENIORS; LOX CAFE AT THE MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE; OFFSHORE SAILING ADVENTURES
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| | Retired fireboat John J. Harvey offers free trips in New York Harbor and to and from Kingston, N.Y. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Free swimming and yoga for seniors: Beginning Sept. 8, the Downtown Community Center is offering free swimming and yoga for seniors on the following schedule: Senior Swim, Monday to Thursday: 12:30 p.m.-2p.m.; Senior Water Exercise, Monday and Thursday: 12:45 p.m.; Senior Swim Clinic, Tuesday, 1:15 p.m.; Senior Yoga, Friday: 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. To register, click here, come to the Downtown Community Center at 120 Warren St. or call (212) 766 1104. You can also email swim@manhattanyouth.org.Offshore sailing adventures aboard Lettie G. Howard: The South Street Seaport Museum's beautiful and historic (1893) schooner Lettie G. Howard will be sailing from New York City to her home waters of Gloucester, Mass. from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, where she will take part in the Gloucester Schooner Race and Festival on Sept. 4. Afterward she will sail to the New London Maritime Heritage Festival in New London, Conn. (Sept. 5 through Sept. 9) and then back to New York City (Sept. 11 through Sept. 13). Join her for any part of this sail (or all of it!) as crew in training (no experience necessary). You will stand watch, raise and handle the sail, take the helm, help to chart a course and learn some of the skills of a traditional mariner. Prices for various parts of the journey range from $160 (for the schooner race) to $800 for the longer stretches of sailing. For more information, click here. To make a reservation, click here. Harbor and Hudson River trips aboard fireboat John J. Harvey: The historic fireboat John J. Harvey, built in 1931 and among the most powerful fireboats ever in service, officially retired in 1994 but she continues to ply the waters of New York harbor and even goes up the Hudson River to Kingston, N.Y. from time to time. All trips aboard the John J. Harvey are free, although donations are gratefully accepted. Some upcoming trips are as follows: Aug. 13: 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (to and from Pier 66); Aug. 14: Engine room tours at 1 p.m. followed by a harbor trip from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. (to and from Pier 66). In September, she will participate in the North River Tugboat Races on Sept. 4, go to Newtown Creek on Sept. 7 and then travel to Kingston, N.Y. from Sept. 9 through Sept. 12. For more information about the John J. Harvey and for details on her schedule, including how to make reservations, click here. Lox at the Museum of Jewish Heritage: The Museum of Jewish Heritage has opened a new caf� called Lox with a menu that features in-house cured salmon served in a variety of ways. A tasting dish of lox served in five different ways costs $36. Sandwiches are $13 to $18. Also on the menu are homemade babka ($12), cheese blintzes with sour cream ($13), borscht ($5 for a cup, $8 for a bowl), Russian coffee cake, ruggelach, and more. Museum members receive a 10 percent discount. Place: 36 Battery Place. Open during museum hours. For more information, call (646) 437-4231 or click here.
Tunnel to Towers Run: In recognition of the special role that Battery Park City, the Financial District, the South Street Seaport and Tribeca have played in the remarkable success of the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run/Walk, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has issued an invitation to the area's residents to join the five-kilometer walk on Sunday, Sept. 25 as a group called "the Neighbors." The Tunnel to Towers Run/Walk commemorates the heroism of firefighter Stephen Siller who, on Sept. 11, 2001, strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and ran through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, already closed to traffic, to the Twin Towers, where died while saving others. The Neighbors team is invited to participate in the run/walk and in the after-party. Registration is necessary and children are free. Click here to register. Battery Park City Block Party: The 15th annual Battery Park City Block Party will be held on Sunday, Sept. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Esplanade Plaza next to North Cove Marina. Once again, the BPC Chamber will be hosting. If you would like a table at the block party for your business, contact Rosalie ( rosaliebpc@gmail.com) as soon as possible. Volunteers are needed for the day of the event to help set up and break down, check in vendors and other tasks. Email info@bpcchamber.com if you can help.
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.
One World Observatory Happy Hour: Tickets to One World Observatory's Thursday Happy Hours buy two specialty cocktails, live music and spectacular views from the 101st floor of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. The performers for the remainder of August are Aug. 11: DJ from iHeartRadio 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Aug. 18: Your Ex-Boyfriends 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Aug. 25: JoeKris Music 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $50 a couple. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Aug. 16, 23 and 30 and on Sept. 13, 20 and 27. 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
WHAT TO WEAR FOR A SUMMER EXCURSION TO ROCKAWAY
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| | An 1882 trade card advertised summer excursions to Rockaway aboard "White's Magnificent Steamers." (Courtesy of the South Street Seaport Museum) |
(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 second in what will be a regular feature in Downtown Post NYC highlighting artifacts from the collection.)
A trade card from 1882 published by The Hatch Lith. Co. showed girls in swimming costumes on the shores of the Rockaway. The card was an advertisement for the White's Magnificent Steamers company, owners of the "largest, finest, and best adapted Excursion Steamers in the world, combining every thing that contributes to the safety, comfort and luxury of pleasure seekers."
The back of the card said that the two "entirely new palatial Steamers Grand Republic and Columbia" made daily excursions, leaving from 24th Street North River (the old name for the Hudson River) and stopping at Leroy Street, Pier 2 and Jewell's Wharf in Brooklyn before arriving in Rockaway. There were morning and afternoon departures, with live music on each vessel. "Conterno's Celebrated Band" played on the Grand Republic, while "Deverell's Popular Band, Cornet soloist, xylophone, etc." entertained the passengers on the Columbia.
The cost was 50 cents, round trip.
The two young women on the right side of the advertising card were concealed by a flap that said "Ladies Bath House Don't Open." When the panel was opened, it revealed the two demoiselles getting dressed for the beach. Tr�s risqu�!
[Image: Collection of the South Street Seaport Museum)
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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. |
CALENDAR: Week of Aug. 8
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| | Aug. 15, the second night of the annual Battery Dance Festival, will be largely devoted to dancers from India. This photo depicts a dancer who performed at the festival in August 2014, in a dance based on Jayadeva's 12th-century classic, the Gita Govindam. Dancers from Srishti Dances of India told the story of the 10 forms of Vishnu, the preserver of life in the universe. The Battery Dance Festival runs from Aug. 14 through Aug. 20 and is free. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) |
Aug. 13: Battery Park City Parks presents a Brazilian Family Dance, the last family dance of the summer season. Dance (or just listen) to the energetic and joyful music of Liliana Araujo and her band performing forro music from rural northeast Brazil. Place: Esplanade Plaza (just south of North Cove Marina). Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
Aug. 13: The last weekend for "New York City Poetry Picnic," Poets House's outpost in a historic house on Governors Island. An exhibition of art and poetry by Lower Manhattan students is accompanied by a pop-up library of books on loan from Poets House's 70,000-volume collection and interactive poetry and art stations for children and families.
Also, Aug. 14. Place: House 4B in Nolan Park, Governors Island. Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free. For more information, click here.
Aug. 14: "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.
Aug. 14: The Battery Dance Festival, showcasing outstanding dancers and companies from many parts of the world, returns to Battery Park City's Wagner Park starting on Aug. 14 for six nights of free performances. As in previous years, this celebration of dance will end with performances and a reception at the Schimmel Center at Pace University - this year on Aug. 20. For more information about the Battery Dance Festival, including listings of which companies will be performing on each night of the festival, click here. General admission tickets for the closing night at the Schimmel Center are free but must be reserved in advance. VIP tickets that include a reception can be purchased for $75. For more information and to buy VIP tickets, click here. Wagner Park performances start at 6:30 p.m. and are free.
Aug. 17: 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 Aug. 17, the last ecocruise of the summer season, goes to the Brother Islands 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. Place: Eco-cruises leave from Pier 16 in the South Street Seaport. Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets: $35 (adults); $25 (children, 3 to 12). For more information, click here.
Aug. 18: See a screening of "Jurassic Park" 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.
Ongoing: "Portrait of a Landscape" is the title of the exhibition at the Shirley Fiterman Art Center, part of the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Artists from New York and Buenos Aires, Argentina are represented in the exhibition. Through Sept. 10. Place: 81 Barclay St. Time: Tuesdays to Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. 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. 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 at the World Trade Gallery called "Breezy" is about summer fun and features the colorful work of seven artists. Through Aug. 31. Place: 120 Broadway (at Cedar Street). Phone: (212) 619-2030. For more information including gallery hours, 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, an exhibition of maritime art in mixed media by Adam Payne reflects the artist's love of history and his appreciation of everyday
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Vintage map with signal flags, by Adam Payne
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materials. Using old rain slickers and life jackets, he creates memorials to failed explorers and spells out messages on vintage maps, using signal flags. The exhibition continues through the end of September. 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.
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