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DOWNTOWN
POST NYC 
 
News and Events
in Lower Manhattan
 
 
Volume 3, No. 39  Aug. 18, 2016  
IN THIS ISSUE

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"The tipping point for us was that an agency in which we have no trust or confidence is proposing costly and disruptive changes to our community."
     - Pat Smith, president of the board of managers of Battery Pointe, a block-long condominium in Battery Park City, explaining why Battery Pointe's board has issued a resolution calling for a halt in the Battery Park City Authority's capital expenditures until there are changes in the management and make-up of the BPCA

 
WEATHER INFORMATION: For current weather information, click here.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS IN BATTERY PARK CITY:
To reach AlliedBarton "safety ambassadors," call  (212) 945-SAFE (7233). The Battery Park City Command Center is now located at the Verdesian at 211 North End Ave. In case of emergencies, call 911.  

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MASTHEAD PHOTO: A member of the Florida Dance Theater performing on the opening night of the Battery Dance Festival in Battery Park City's Wagner Park. Aug. 14, 2016
(Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) 



PointeBATTERY POINTE BOARD OF MANAGERS ISSUES 'NO CONFIDENCE' RESOLUTION LAMBASTING THE BATTERY PARK CITY AUTHORITY   
The Battery Pointe condominium at 300 Rector Place has a full block of arcades facing South End Avenue. (Photos: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
 
Battery Pointe, one of the condominiums in the southern part of Battery Park City, has declared war on the Battery Park City Authority. On Aug. 2, Battery Pointe's board of managers passed a resolution that states:

"Whereas the Battery Park City Authority repeatedly has misled the residents of Battery Park City, and has disregarded the wishes of the community and its elected representatives, and
 
"Whereas the Battery Park City Authority has lost the trust and confidence of the residents of Battery Park City,
 
"Now therefore the Battery Pointe Board of Managers resolves that it will in no way endorse or support any capital initiative of the Battery Park City Authority until a new chair has been named to the Authority Board and until at least two residents of Battery Park City have been named to the Authority Board.
 
"The Battery Pointe Board of Managers calls on all of our elected officials and all candidates for elected office to communicate to the Battery Park City Authority their support for this resolution and to promise that they will take no action to facilitate any capital initiatives of the Battery Park City Authority until the conditions stated above have been met."

Battery Pointe at 300 Rector Place, takes up the entire block between Rector Place and West Thames Street. The building has 152 apartments and around 300 residents.

Pat Smith, president of the Battery Pointe board of managers, said that the resolution has been circulated to other condominiums in Battery Park City with the request that they pass similar resolutions. Most of those boards don't meet during the month of August so it would be impossible for anything to happen before September.

Smith said that the BPCA's proposals to rebuild South End Avenue precipitated the Battery Pointe resolution. "The tipping point for us was that an agency in which we have no trust or confidence is proposing costly and disruptive changes to our community," he said. "We are bound and determined that they are not going to do this."

Smith acknowledged that the Battery Park City condo owners "can't force the BPCA to do anything." But, he said, "BPCA can't proceed without the New York City Department of Transportation. It's hard to imagine that the DOT will proceed if our elected representatives are opposed."

At a rally on Aug. 11 sparked by opposition to the South End Avenue proposals, City
City Councilmember Margaret Chin 
Councilmember Margaret Chin said, "Repeatedly, the BPCA has failed to adequately consult the community it serves."

Gigi Li, who is running for the New York State Assembly in the 65th AD (the seat vacated by Sheldon Silver) stated at the rally that the "redesign of South End Avenue must be community driven."

Chin agreed. "That's why I'm standing here today in support of Gigi and also the [Battery Park City] neighbors and business owners to make sure that the community is being heard," she said.

Battery Pointe has not yet circulated its resolution to other elected officials. It is waiting for more Battery Park City condo boards to act. By the end of September, Smith believes that at least five or six other condos will have passed resolutions similar to the one from Battery Pointe.
- Terese Loeb Kreuzer



AdelIN MEMORY OF ADEL EURO, BATTERY DANCE LAUNCHES FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FOR DANCERS SEEKING REFUGE IN THE UNITED STATES    
In memory of Adel Euro, a 23-year-old Iraqi dancer who was killed by a suicide bomber in Baghdad on July 3, Adel's friend, Hussein Smko, opened this year's Battery Dance Festival with a dance in Adel's memory set to "Mad World," the music that Adel had danced to when he performed with Battery Dance in Amman, Jordan in April 2015. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

Adel Euro couldn't make it to this year's Battery Dance Festival. He was supposed to be there. The young Iraqi with a passion for dance in a culture that disapproved of it had taught himself by watching YouTube videos and practicing in his cramped living room. Fortunately, Battery Dance's founder, Jonathan Hollander, saw Euro's work on YouTube and arranged to have him mentored by a Battery Dance professional via Skype. For one indelibly beautiful week, Adel Euro actually got to perform on stage with some of the Battery Dance company's dancers in Amman, Jordan. That was supposed to be the beginning of a long and fertile association. But it won't happen.

On July 3, Adel Euro was among more than 300 civilians killed by an ISIS suicide bomber in Baghdad. He was 23 years old.

In his memory, Battery Dance is trying to raise money to help other dancers from the region seeking refuge. A campaign has been launched on Generosity by Indiegogo. 

The immediate goal is to raise $30,000 toward the expenses of providing safe harbor and membership in a new ensemble for one at-risk dancer. Ultimately, the hope is to extend this protection to many other dancers "who exhibit extraordinary talent but are limited in their opportunities and are at risk due to societal constraints and conflict in their countries."

Ultimately, Battery Dance plans to create an ensemble of six dancers from conflict zones who will receive advanced training in New York City. Support is needed to bring them safely to the United States, to provide room and board until they can earn a living, to enroll them in classes and to develop choreography with them.

Battery Dance believes that with the initial funding in hand, it can successfully approach foundations to seek funding for five more at-risk dancers and for other program costs.

The urgency is great. "Every day, extraordinary talent is lost in conflict zones to senseless and random violence," Battery Dance says on its funding petition. "The next generation in these conflict-ridden countries is at risk of losing its artists - the people who will carry their culture forward - the people who will be called upon to celebrate their heritage and, hopefully one day, their peace."

Battery Dance was founded in 1976 as a not-for-profit company, with the intent of connecting the world through dance. For the past decade, Battery Dance has toured the world, using dance as a tool for diplomacy in more than 50 countries.

To learn more about this funding campaign and to contribute to it, click here.

- Terese Loeb Kreuzer




Bits & Bytes
cancer9/11 CANCER DIAGNOSES TRIPLE; 'SHARED STREETS' ONLY
PARTLY SHARED; CLOSED STOREFRONTS IN WESTFIELD WTC MALL

The fashion atrium at Brookfield Place opened in 2015. The Alliance for Downtown New York reported that in 2015, the hotel, restaurant and retail industries added 2,000 new jobs in Lower Manhattan. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
 
"Diagnoses of 9/11-linked cancers have tripled in less than 3 years," New York Post, 8/14/16. "More than 5,400 Ground Zero responders and others who lived, worked or went to school near the fallen Twin Towers have come down with 9/11-linked cancers, a grim tally that has tripled in the past 2 1/2 years" says the New York Post. "As of June 30, 5,441 people enrolled in the WTC Health Program have been diagnosed with 6,378 separate cancers, with some struck by more than one type, officials said. That's up from 1,822 victims in January 2014." For the complete article, click here.

"Photos: Drivers Mar Otherwise Pleasant 'Shared Streets' Experiment," gothamist.com, 8/14/16. "The Department of Transportation tested out its Shared Streets program yesterday, designating a 60-block area of the Financial District to be a 5 MPH zone for all vehicles, with pedestrians and cyclists encouraged to join them on the asphalt," says gothamist.com. "And while there were certainly some pleasant moments throughout the afternoon, it was unsurprising that for the most part drivers refused to play along. On busy Maiden Lane, for example, despite having just passed through the NYPD-manned barricades with big speed limit signs, most cars cruised by at regular speed, forcing pedestrians to stick to the sidewalk. For the most part drivers seemed frustrated (one yelling 'get the hell outta the street'), confused, or simply annoyed." For the complete article, with many photographs (including some of Patrick Kennell, a member of Community Board 1,) click here.

"This mapping tool lets you take a virtual tour of Old New York," Luxury Listings, 8/11/16. "Time travel may not be possible, but with just an internet connection, you can now take a virtual tour of old New York, thanks to a new mapping tool," says Luxury Listings. "Old NYC is a project from software developer Dan Vanderkam, who used archival photographs from the New York Public Library to build a rather outdated - though very interesting - map of the city. Like Google Street View, you can click on various dots on the map and see a photograph of what that street used to look like." For the complete article, click here.

"Westfield opens WTC mall, but closed storefronts abound," therealdeal.com, 8/16/16. "The World Trade Center's new retail complex officially opened on Tuesday, but visitors didn't find all that many open stores," says The Real Deal. "Out of roughly 100 shops expected to occupy the $1.4 billion center, more than 40 didn't open Tuesday, according to an on-site 'ambassador' for landlord Westfield. H&M's planned 25,000-square-foot store remained closed, as did Victoria's Secret's space, a Duane Reade, Breads Bakery and Choza Taqueria, among others. Many of the stores that have yet to open are near the PATH station and below 3 World Trade Center. The delayed openings could create a financial headache for Westfield, which in 2001 signed a 99-year ground lease for the site and in 2013 paid $800 million for the port authority's 50-percent stake in the project." For the complete article, click here.

Employment growth in Lower Manhattan: Looking for a job in education, health care, the hotel, restaurant, retail, professional services or media industries? There may well be one for you in Lower Manhattan. The Alliance for Downtown New York's Q2 2016 Lower Manhattan Real Estate Market Report published on Aug. 2, 2016 states that more than 232,000 people are now employed in Lower Manhattan's private sector, the sixth consecutive year of growth.

The hotel, retail and restaurant industries added 2,000 jobs, with more on the way. Last year, 58 new stores and restaurants opened in Lower Manhattan, along with three new hotels. In the fields of education and health care, there were 1,300 new jobs in 2015.

With media companies such as TIME relocating to Lower Manhattan, jobs in the information sector grew by more than 1,100 employees in the fourth quarter of 2015 alone.

For the full report, click here.


newsLOCAL NEWS COVERAGE: WHO NEEDS IT?  

At a Community Meeting on Dec. 16, 2015, Battery Park City Authority management heard Pat Smith and other Battery Park City residents criticize the Authority for being oblivious to community needs and wishes. In the foreground are members of the local press, covering the meeting. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)

In an Op-Ed in the Sunday New York Times on Aug. 7, the Times' public editor, Liz Spayd, announced that there would be changes in the newspaper's Metro coverage. Top editors are "looking at how much space local news should take up in the daily newspaper," she wrote. "(The answer: less.)"

Further in the article, Spayd stated, "Community coverage is out. Politics used to be in, and it still is, because it's viewed as essential to the fabric of New York. But like everything else, it won't be done in small bites." Spayd then quoted the Metro editor, Wendell Jamieson, as saying, "We're looking for stories with real impact that will resonate beyond the city. Covering all the small stories is just a way to pretend you're in the neighborhood."

The Times has probably decided to step away from Metro coverage for financial reasons. It reported a $14 million net loss for the first quarter of 2016, largely because of falling revenue in print advertising, only partially offset by digital subscriptions. And digital readers could be anywhere.

Spayd's article states that 90 percent of Times readers don't live in New York City.

Unlike The Times, 90 percent of Downtown Post NYC readers live and/or work not only in New York City, but in Lower Manhattan. The same is probably true for other Downtown news sources.

The Times' abdication should make the local press even more important than it was already for people who care about (and depend on) local news. 

For the most part, the editors and reporters of Downtown's publications live in the community they cover. In some cases, they have been reporting on Lower Manhattan for well over a decade. They have an in-depth knowledge of the issues.

I, for example, have been writing about (and photographing) Lower Manhattan for almost 13 years. I have thick archives of articles and photographs and "institutional memory."

However, as for The Times, the financial struggle is real. All of the local publications are free to readers and depend on advertising to keep going.

The chances are that few readers of Downtown's local news sources give this much thought. Since the publications are free, they're probably, for the most part, taken for granted.

However, here's the unvarnished truth. Most of the journalists, editors and photographers who produce Downtown's publications (all of them, of high journalistic quality) earn less per hour for their efforts than the minimum wage.

This can't continue indefinitely.

The bottom line is that if Downtown readers and business owners value the local press, then it must be supported. For all of the Lower Manhattan publications, advertising is essential. And although there are no subscription fees, monetary contributions from readers are greatly appreciated.

Here are some questions for you: What does having local news publications mean to you? What are they worth to you? Would it matter to you if local news sources were fewer or if they disappeared completely? Because they might.

- Terese Loeb Kreuzer

Comments on this editorial are welcome. Email them to [email protected].




Downtown bulletin board
voicesDOWNTOWN VOICES AUDITIONS; SAKS DOWNTOWN WILL OPEN ON SEPT. 9; SEN. SCHUMER TO GET LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
 
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer speaking at a rally on Dec. 3, 2015 on the lawn of the Capitol Building to urge passage of permanent Zadroga health care funding and and a five-year extension of the Victim Compensation fund. The Gateway Plaza Tenants Association will present him with a Lifetime Achievement Award on Sept. 9.
 (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
   
Trinity Youth Chorus Auditions: The Trinity Youth Chorus brings together New York City youth ages 5 to 18 for group and individual training in vocal technique, music theory, sight-reading, and performance skills. The choristers have sung with a variety of notable performers, from Josh Groban to The Rolling Stones. Auditions for the 2016-2017 season will take place in August and September. For questions or to schedule an audition, contact Melissa Attebury at [email protected] or 212.602.0798.

Downtown Voices audition:
Trinity's semiprofessional choir, praised by The New York Times for their "incisive, agile strength," is holding auditions for the 2016-17 season! Sing with members of the Grammy-nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street in works by Morten Lauridsen, Handel and Stravinsky. For more information and to apply to audition, click here.

Gateway Plaza Tenants Association to honor Schumer: The Gateway Plaza Tenants Association (GPTA) has announced that it will give U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) a Lifetime Achievement Award on Sept. 9. The presentation will take place on Esplanade Plaza, just south of North Cove Marina, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. with national, State and City officials in attendance. As a Gateway Plaza Tenants Association function, only residents of the complex are officially invited, but anyone who is interested will be able to see and hear the proceedings from a distance.

Schumer ran for the U.S. Congress in 1980 after having served in the New York State Senate. He became a U.S. Senator in 1998. Should the Democrats regain control of the Senate in the November election, Schumer would probably become the Senate Majority Leader.

GPTA's presentation of an award to Schumer will be two days away from the 15th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. In the aftermath of that attack, along with Hillary Clinton, who was then a U.S. Senator from New York State, Schumer obtained more than $20 billion in funding to help rebuild Lower Manhattan. He also worked for the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act both in 2010 when it was first authorized and in 2015 when it came up for renewal. In addition, for years, he has successfully advocated for federal funds to build an esplanade along the East River and to fortify Lower Manhattan with berms that would protect against sea level rise and catastrophic storms.

For Gateway Plaza residents, there will be complimentary wine, beer, and hors d'oeuvres at the award ceremony, courtesy of SouthWestNY, Le Pain Quotidien, Duane Park Patisserie and Sprinkles. Gateway Plaza residents can RSVP by emailing [email protected].

Grand opening of Saks Downtown: Saks Downtown at 225 Liberty St. in Brookfield Place will open on Sept. 9 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Saks promises "light refreshments as well as many in-store surprises and delights throughout the day." 

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 [email protected].

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. 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 ([email protected]) 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 [email protected] if you can help.

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. Eataly will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
 
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 [email protected].

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. 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  [email protected] 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. 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 hereSeaGlass 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 [email protected] with your request for more information about sizes and prices.


healthFrom the South Street Seaport Museum Collection
A GUIDE TO HEALTH
An 1893 trade card advertised a free Guide to Good Health.
(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 fourth in what will be a regular feature in Downtown Post NYC highlighting artifacts from the collection.)

The picture on this trade card for "The Guide to Health" is alluring, the language, endearingly quaint ("a treasure for every household, published in 14 languages and describing the various illnesses in alphabetical order") but the subject being addressed was not at all quaint.

The fact that the pamphlet was available in 14 languages is a clue to what New York City was like in the late 19th century when this free guide was published. Immigrants flooded New York City, most of them, desperately poor. They lived in cramped, dark tenement buildings, usually without adequate ventilation or running water. Sewage systems in poor neighborhoods were primitive or non-existent. In the mid-19th century, there were outbreaks of cholera (1849) and typhoid fever (1860s), each of which killed thousands of people.

With limited English language skills, many immigrants took any job they could find, entailing long hours in unhealthy working situations. In New York City, around one quarter of 20-year-olds could expect to die before their 30th birthday.

Friedrich Adolf Richter, the man who published "The Guide to Health," profited from these conditions. He was born in North Rhine-Wesphalia (Germany as a country did not yet exist) in 1846, the son of a master baker. Richter dropped out of high school to go to work for a druggist. By 1869, he had opened his own store, selling patent medicines. There were no regulations as to what they could contain. Coca leaves were a popular ingredient.

Richter soon had a turnkey operation, with printing presses that produced labels for his products, advertising, publicity brochures and books.

Despite some setbacks (Richter was not a stickler for adhering to laws and was shut down more than once), he prospered. Eventually, he had sales offices and subsidiaries throughout Germany and in London, Paris, Rotterdam, Vienna, Olten, Switzerland - and at 17 Warren St. in New York City.

When he died in 1910, he was one of the richest men in Germany. Unfortunately for his heirs, he took his business acumen with him. By 1920, Richter's company and all of its assets were no more.

 - Terese Loeb Kreuzer   

[Image: Collection of the South Street Seaport Museum)



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.

calendarCALENDAR: Week of Aug. 15

"The Lost Arcade," a film about Chinatown Fair, an old-fashioned arcade at 8 Mott St. in Manhattan's Chinatown, is playing on Aug. 18 at the Metrograph theater, 7 Ludlow St. Arcades like Chinatown Fair have almost disappeared in New York City. More than just a place to play video games, they were social hubs, a refuge for some people and a place where people who didn't have much else to celebrate in their lives could be acknowledged and praised for their gaming skills. Chinatown Fair opened in the early 1940s. By the skin of its teeth, it still exists. For more information about show times for the film, click here. (Photo: Terese Loeb Kreuzer) 
               
Aug. 18: The Battery Dance Festival, showcasing outstanding dancers and companies from many parts of the world, is in Battery Park City's Wagner Park for six nights of free performances (Aug. 14 to Aug. 19). 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. 18: "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. 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

Aug. 18: The National Museum of the American Indian is holding workshops entitled "Learn + Make: Honoring a Relative" in connection with one of its current exhibitions, "Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains." Inspired by Plains narrative art, which recounts significant events in the lives of a community or of individuals, workshop participants will be invited to design their own tote bags. Recommended for ages 7 and up. Also, Aug. 25. Place: One Bowling Green. Time: Workshop sessions begin at the start of every hour: 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Recommended for ages 7 and up. Free. Online registration required. To register, 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 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.
 
Nearby:
Aug. 20: Blues BBQ. For years, the Hudson River Park's annual Blues BBQ was held in Lower Manhattan. This year, the music and food event has been moved to Pier 97 in Clinton. The blues line-up includes Gaye and the Wild Rutz, 2 p.m.; Cash Box Kings,  3:15 p.m.; Bernard Allison Group, 4:30 p.m.; Sugaray Rayford Band, 6 p.m.; The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, 7:30 p.m. (The program is subject to change.) For BBQ, look for Arrogant Swine,
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Fort Gansevoort BBQ and Mighty Quinn's Barbeque. Place: Pier 97 at West 59th Street. Time: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free admission. For more information, click here.


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Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer

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