New City Council District Map for Manhattan
The New York City Districting Commission has just published new City Council district maps that will be in place for the next decade. The maps resulted from over eight months of work during which there were 20 public meetings and hearings where public testimony was presented both in person and virtually. To see an enlargement of the map, click here.
On the plaza at 140 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, a 30-by-10-foot dome filled with brightly colored corridors made of rope echoes the towering urban landscape. "Geo," created by design studio Hou de Sousa, was designed so that visitors could walk through the installation, which is composed of steel frames and over five miles of fluorescent paracord. Hou de Sousa says that “Geo” “serves as a companion to the nearby monumental sculptures of Isamu Noguchi and Mark di Suvero, while also providing a glowing beacon in the heart of New York City. "Geo" will be on display through May 1, 2023. For more information, click here. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Gabriel Willow, a naturalist with NYC Audubon.
STAMINA AND THE MEANING OF COURAGE
On May 23, 2020 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered his daily COVID-19 report from the Governor's Mansion in Albany where three men had formerly lived who went on to become U.S. presidents. Among them was Teddy Roosevelt, born a sickly kid who fought in the Spanish-American War as a Rough Rider — a nickname that was given to a volunteer cavalry that was on the front lines of the combat.
Cuomo mentioned that when he was New York State governor, Teddy Roosevelt had a boxing ring built on the third floor of the Governor's Mansion and that he would invite Albany legislators to visit and go a few rounds with him. "I think that's how they got the budget done at the end of the budget session," Cuomo said wryly.
He also quoted something that Teddy Roosevelt had once said: “Courage is not having the strength to go on. It is going on when you don’t have the strength.” Then Cuomo continued, “Day 84. “‘I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do this anymore.’ We have to do it more. We have to continue to do it. There’s no normal. We’re going to have to do it for a long time.”
A banner on a lamppost in The Battery showing the cover of Gail Karlsson's book, "A Birds' Guide to The Battery and New York Harbor." (Photos: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
China Institute Gallery Grand Reopening
Flowers on a River:
The Art of Chinese Flower and Bird Painting, 1368-1911
Masterworks from Tianjin Museum and Changzhou Museum
March 23 to June 25: The China Institute Gallery— the only museum in the United States to exclusively show Chinese art—will reopen to the public on March 23 with a landmark exhibition of Chinese flower-and-bird paintings. The exhibition will showcase masterpieces of Chinese painting across five centuries.
100 Washington Street (at the corner of Washington and Rector Streets. Use the temporary entrance at 40 Rector Street to the 2nd floor.)
Hours: Monday – Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Closed on major holidays.
For more information, click here.
Birds in The Battery
On July 17, 2022, Gabriel Willow, a naturalist with NYC Audubon, and Gail Karlsson, author of "A Birds' Guide to The Battery and New York Harbor," led a bird walk in the Battery where many migrating birds find food and habitat. In addition to living birds, the tour took in banners that depict some of Karlsson’s portraits of the birds that live in or pass through The Battery. The banners will be in place along some of The Battery's paths through the winter. Karlsson's book is available on Amazon.com and at other retail outlets.
News and events in lower Manhattan
Welcome
Downtown Post NYC is a free newsletter about lower Manhattan that is emailed to subscribers. It covers history, architecture, politics, parks, real estate, museums, the marine environment, restaurants, shops and the people of lower Manhattan.
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If you have comments or questions, email editor@downtownpostnyc.com.
Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Editor, Downtown Post NY
Weather and Public Safety
Weather Information: For the latest weather information, go to www.weather.gov/nyc.
AlliedBarton patrols Battery Park City. To reach AlliedBarton, call (212) 945-SAFE (7233). The Battery Park City Command Center is located at the Verdesian, 211 North End Ave. In case of emergencies, call 911.
Sign up for Notify NYC
New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for Notify NYC, the City’s free emergency communications program, for the latest information and updates on storm and emergency events in NYC. To sign up for Notify NYC, download the free mobile application, visit NYC.gov/NotifyNYC, call 311, or follow @NotifyNYC on Twitter. For more severe weather information, go to www.NYC.gov/SevereWeather.
City Council Member Christopher Marte on the Landmarks Preservation Commission
On Jan. 12, 2023, Justice Arthur F. Engoron of the Supreme Court of the State of New York handed down a decision in the case of the South Street Seaport Coalition vs the Landmarks Preservation Commission of the City of New York. The petitioners sought to invalidate a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) that the Landmarks Preservation Commission had granted to an affiliate of the Howard Hughes Corporation to build a 324-foot tower at 250 Water St. in the South Street Seaport. Justice Engoron granted the petition and declared the Certificate of Appropriateness "null and void."
Subsequently, City Council Member Christopher Marte who represents Manhattan District 1 commented, "When the Landmarks Preservation Commission fails to preserve landmarks, it’s a failure to do their most basic duty. But when the LPC coaches real estate lobbyists on how to present to them, holding secret meetings to script public hearings, it’s blatant corruption. The Seaport Coalition...won their lawsuit against LPC’s illegal approval of a luxury tower at 250 Water Street. For years, the Howard Hughes Corporation has been buying up the historic South Street Seaport district and converting it from an affordable community to a luxury Instagram backdrop. They’ve rented out public sidewalks to people who have a certain type of credit card, and evicted small businesses with reasonable price points. It isn’t surprising that Howard Hughes expected rules to not apply to them at 250 Water Street, but we rallied together and held their feet to the fire." Council Member Marte continues to support community efforts to hold the Landmarks Preservation Commission accountable to public interests.
The interior of the McNally Jackson bookstore at 4 Fulton St. in the South Street Seaport, which is co-sponsoring a monthly book club with the South Street Seaport Museum. (Below) The book selection for March is The Big Oyster by Mark Kurlansky. (Photos: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Demonstration at 250 Broadway Protested Co-opted Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) was founded in 1965 to protect the irreplaceable structures and historic districts in New York City's built environment. It was meant to protect places that would otherwise be destroyed by development. The recent judicial decision at 250 Water Street in the South Street Seaport Historic District exposed the workings of a compromised LPC. The Landmarks Preservation Commission now primarily serves the real estate industry, following the trend set long ago by City Planning, the Department of Buildings, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation. In its current dysfunction, it fails in its original mission.
The organizers of this demonstration listed below demanded an end to this theater. The demonstration urged broadened representation so that historic buildings and places in New York City are once again safe from the predations of real estate interests. The demonstration demanded reforms to insulate the LPC from lobbyists and from real estate influence and Mayoral interference. It demanded an LPC that adheres to a democratic standard in its internal proceedings.
On Tuesday, March 7 around 100 protestors assembled at 250 Broadway where the members of the City Council’s Landmarks Subcommittee were supposed to meet. That meeting was deferred but the protest went on anyway.
Save our Seaport, Humanscale NYC, Citywide Landuse Coalition, Historic Districts Council, Berry Street Alliance, SoHo Alliance, Bowery Alliance of Neighbors, Preserve our Brooklyn Neighborhoods, CUEUP, Committee for Environmentally Sound Development, Moving Forward Unidos, Inwood Preservation, Citizens for Responsible Neighborhood Planning of Clinton Hill and Fort Green, Society for Clinton Hill, Stop Sunnyside Yards
Lest we forget:
NEW YORK GOV. ANDREW CUOMO'S
RESPONSE TO COVID-19
FROM MARCH TO JUNE 2020
June 13: Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation suspending the forfeiture of unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 state of emergency. More than 44 million people in the United States have applied for unemployment insurance during the pandemic and this number is expected to grow. People who have had forfeit penalties levied against them from past claims have been unable to collect their unemployment benefits. This new law allows them to collect these benefits in their time of greatest need.
June 12: Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an Executive Order — the 'New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative' — requiring local police agencies, including the NYPD, to develop a plan that reinvents and modernizes police strategies and programs in their community based on community input. Each police agency's reform plan must address policies, procedures, practices and deployment, including, but not limited to use of force. Police forces must adopt a plan by April 1, 2021 to be eligible for future state funding.
June 8: Gov. Cuomo said that he would sign a set of bills on criminal justice reform introduced by the New York State Legislature. They allow for transparency of prior disciplinary records of law enforcement officers by reforming 50-a of the civil rights law; banning chokeholds by law enforcement officers; prohibiting false race-based 911 reports and making them a crime and designating the Attorney General as an independent prosecutor for matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians caused by law enforcement.
June 7: Gov. Cuomo announced that outdoor, socially distanced graduations of up to 150 people will be allowed beginning June 26th, subject to any outbreaks or significant changes in the metrics that are measuring infection, hospitalization and death rates in each of the 10 regions of New York State.
June 6: Gov. Cuomo said that he was signing a bill to ban price gouging on masks and other supplies needed to help prevent Covid-19 transmission. This legislation will be effective for the remainder of the pandemic crisis.
May 29: Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York City is on track to embark on Phase 1 of reopening on June 8. Around 400,000 people who work in construction, wholesale, manufacturing and curbside retail industries will be able to return to their jobs.
May 22: Gov. Cuomo announced that New York State is launching a $100+ million loan program for small businesses. The loan program will focus on supporting small businesses that were less likely to receive federal loans, especially women and minority-owned businesses, and very small businesses with 20 or fewer employees. For more information, go to https://esd.ny.gov/economic-recovery-covid-19-loans-small-businesses
May 21: Gov. Cuomo announced that summer school will only take place via distance learning, not by inclass teaching. He also said that meal programs and child care services for essential employees will continue.
May 17: Gov. Cuomo announced a new website that will help New Yorkers to find sites where they can be tested for COVID-19. The URL is https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-testing
May 10: Gov. Cuomo announced that New York State was investigating 85 cases of a COVID-related illness in children that presented as an inflammation of the blood vessels and sometimes of the heart. He said that three New York children had died of this previously undiagnosed disease.
May 7: Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that no commercial or residential tenant can be evicted for non-payment of rent through Aug. 20, 2020 and that renters may use their security deposits to pay their rent and may repay their security deposits over time. He also said that fees for late rent payments would be banned during the eviction moratorium.
May 4: Gov. Cuomo announced that New York State will monitor four core factors to determine if a region of the state can safely re-open: Number of new infections, health care capacity, diagnostic testing capacity and contact tracing capacity.
April 29: Gov. Cuomo announced that elective outpatient treatments and surgeries could resume in 35 New York counties that have no significant risk of a COVID-19 surge in the near term.
April 15: Gov. Cuomo directed schools and nonessential businesses to stay closed through May 15th. On May 1, Cuomo announced that New York State schools and colleges will remain closed for the rest of this academic year.
March 27: 1. The first 1,000-bed temporary hospital was completed at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. The facility opened on Monday, March 30.
New Yorkers without health insurance can apply for a health plan through NY State of Health. Those who recently lost employer coverage, must apply within 60 days of losing that coverage. Because of loss of income, New Yorkers may also be eligible for Medicaid, the Essential Plan or Child Health Plus.
For a 90-day period, New Yorkers experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 may defer paying life insurance premiums. Late payments will be payable over a one-year period. Additionally, consumers and small businesses experiencing Coronavirus-related financial hardship may defer paying premiums for property and casualty insurance for a 60-day period. This includes auto, homeowners, renters and other kinds of insurance. (No late fees will be assessed and there will be no negative impact to your credit.)
The USNS Comfort, a U.S. Navy hospital ship, arrived in New York Harbor on Monday, March 30. It is a massive facility with 1,000 beds, 12 operating rooms, a pharmacy and a laboratory. It left New York City on April 30.
March 20: On March 20 at 8:40 a.m., the governors of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania released a statement that said that beginning March 21 at 8 p.m., all barbershops, hair salons, tattoo or piercing parlors, nail salons, hair removal services and related personal care services in their respective states would be closed to the public "as these services cannot be provided while maintaining social distance."
New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, said "We know how the novel coronavirus spreads, and we are making data-driven decisions as the situation evolves to continue to reduce density and slow the spread of the virus. We remain in constant communication with our neighboring states to ensure we are establishing a set of uniform rules and regulations for the entire region. These temporary closures are not going to be easy, but they are necessary to protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers and all Americans."
March 19: Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order mandating that businesses that rely on in-office personnel decrease their in-office workforce by 75 percent. Essential service industries are exempted. These include shipping, media, warehousing, grocery and food production, pharmacies, health care providers, utilities, banks and related financial institutions and other industries critical to the supply chain.
March 17: Gov. Cuomo announced a three-way agreement with the New York State legislature on a bill guaranteeing job protection and pay for New Yorkers who have been quarantined as a result of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. The program bill also includes the permanent comprehensive paid sick leave policy first advanced in the Governor's FY 2021 Executive Budget proposal.
This follows the Governor's announcement last week that the state will guarantee two full weeks of paid leave for all state workers who are subject to a mandatory or precautionary order of quarantine as a result of the novel coronavirus.
The Governor also announced that the state is reaching out to qualified former doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to supplement the personnel at hospitals. The State Department of Health and the State Education Department have sent letters to retired health care professionals and all schools of nursing, public health and medicine encouraging qualified health care personnel to sign up for on-call work during the COVID-19 crisis. Healthcare professionals who wish to sign up can contact the State Department of Health at health.ny.gov/assistance.
Gov. Cuomo also directed the Greater New York Hospital Association and the Healthcare Association of New York State to work with 1199 SEIU to develop a plan to create drop-in child care opportunities and to expand child care facilities at their hospitals to ensure child care for hospital workforce. They will submit a joint plan to the state by Friday.
Gov. Cuomo and Attorney General Letitia James announced that effective immediately the state will temporarily halt the collection of medical and student debt owed to the State of New York and referred to the Office of the Attorney General for collection. The reprieve will be for at least 30 days.
March 16: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued an Executive Order allowing the state to increase hospital capacity to prepare the state's healthcare system to handle the potential influx of patients suffering from COVID-19. The State organized the National Guard and worked with building unions and private developers to find existing facilities -- such as dormitories and former nursing homes -- that could most easily be converted to medical facilities, with the goal of creating an additional 9,000 beds. The Governor also asked local governments, especially those in the most impacted areas, to help identify available facilities for this purpose. The State Department of Health suspended regulations to allow existing hospitals to increase space and capacity.
The Governor directed nonessential state employees statewide to work from home starting March 17. The Governor also directed local governments to reduce their overall workforce by 50 percent and allow nonessential employees to work from home.
Following the Governor's directive to close schools in Westchester, New York City, Nassau and Suffolk yesterday, Governor Cuomo said that the counties are required to submit their childcare and meal plans to the state for approval by midnight tonight.
The Governor also announced New York State will waive all fees for state, local and county parks.
A fisherman holding a blue crab that he just caught in the Hudson River. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
COVID-19 Vaccination Information
In New York State, there is no charge to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. For up-to-date information about where and when to get vaccinated, go to www.ny.gov/vaccine.
Gail Karlsson in The Battery.
Connection Bus Service
Check www.downtownny.com for updates.
The bus makes 36 stops on its route between the South Street Seaport and Broadway near City Hall. Daily service starts at 10 a.m. with a last run at 7:30 p.m.
Real-time bus information will be found on NextRide.
Around 100 demonstrators assembled on March 7, 2023 in front of 250 Broadway to protest the failure of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) to protect New York City's historic buildings and districts. City Council's LPC subcommittee was supposed to meet at 250 Broadway that morning but its meeting was deferred. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
FOR THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE DOWNTOWN POST NYC NEWSLETTER, CLICK HERE
Staten Island ferry timetable
The Staten Island Ferry is free and offers service 24 hours a day. The trip between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island takes approximately 25 minutes. All passengers on the Staten Island Ferry must continue to wear face coverings at all times within the terminals and on the ferry. For more information, click here.
To see the events and activities on the Battery Park City Authority's winter calendar, click here. Most events are free.
For some, reservations are required.
The Greek at Greca
452 Washington St. in Tribeca
Breakfast and lunch served daily. Dinner is also served from Thursday to Sunday.
Hours: Open 8 a.m., Mondays to Fridays. Open 9 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Kitchen closes at 10 p.m.
Email: info@thegreektribeca.com
Phone: (917) 261-4795
The Greek at Greca, 452 Washington St., is open daily.
(Photos: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Eric Carle 'Discovery Room'
at the South Street Seaport
With artwork and activities based on the much-loved picture books of the late author and illustrator, Eric Carle, the South Street Seaport Museum at 12 Fulton St. in the Seaport has installed a "discovery room" designed for children aged 2 to 7 years old. It is open free, Wednesdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the end of October. It includes murals based on Carle's book “A House for Hermit Crab” and the cargo-ship adventures of “10 Little Rubber Ducks.” Visitors can meet a live hermit crab, drive ferries on a giant play-table and learn about cargo ships through the eyes of a rubber duck. Book free tickets in advance or just drop by. For more information, click here. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Links
The National Museum of the American Indian at 1 Bowling Green has mostly reopened. The café is still closed. The museum is open daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The museum is free and tickets are not required. For more information, click here.
Governors Island:Governors Island is open to the public year-round. In addition to previously existing ferry routes to Governors Island, NYC Ferry serves Governors Island daily, year-round, on the South Brooklyn route. On existing ferry routes, ticket reservations are required to manage capacity and ensure social distancing and can be made online at govisland.org/ferry. Face coverings are required when boarding, riding and exiting Governors Island ferries. For more information on the ferry, click here.
The Community Center at Stuyvesant High School is open daily.The facilities include a half-Olympic sized pool, basketball courts, gym and fitness equipment. Annual memberships range in price from $199 for adults to $79 for youth, seniors (62+) and military. There are discounts on those prices for Battery Park City residents. Day passes cost $15 for adults and $10 for youth, seniors, military and Battery Park City residents. Winter hours are 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Friday and from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call (212) 427-2000 or email info.bpc@bpca.ny.gov
The Fraunces Tavern Museum at 54 Pearl St. is open. For more information, click here.
LMHQ, the co-working space sponsored by the Downtown Alliance at 150 Broadway, closed its physical space but virtual events and workshops are continuing. For more information, click here.
Battery Park City Library: The New York Public Library system offers unlimited browsing, desktop computer use, laptop loan and general library use, including open seating. Check nypl.org for the most up-to-date hours and activities. For more information about the Battery Park City branch, click here.
Poets House at 10 River Terrace in Battery Park City is still repairing flood damage to its building that occurred in August 2021 and is temporarily closed. Fortunately, the Poets House collection of 70,000 books was spared. As of Dec. 1, Poets House has a new executive director — Rob Arnold. With more than 15 years of leadership experience in literary and publishing roles—most recently as Interim Executive Director of Hugo House—and as a consultant to prestigious arts and cultural organizations, Arnold is Poets House’s first Indigenous (Pacific Islander) leader. An accomplished writer, Arnold’s poems have appeared in many publications and his work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Poets House's Interim Director Cornelius Eady will remain involved with the organization. Poets House plans to reopen in the spring of 2023. For more information, go to www.PoetsHouse.org.
The Morgan Library & Museum at 225 Madison Ave. is open Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays. Admission is free on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with reservations required. Virtual tours and exhibition photos are online at The Morgan Connected. For more information, click here.
The 9/11 Memorial is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is free. The Museum is open from Thursday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is free on Mondays starting at 3:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online. For more information, click here.
Downtown Post NYC
South Street Seaport Museum
Book Club
March 27: The South Street Seaport Museum is hosting a monthly maritime-themed book club in partnership with McNally Jackson Books at 4 Fulton St., where the book club meets on the last Monday of each month. This month the book club is focusing on Mark Kurlansky’s "The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell," which is filled with cultural, historical, and culinary insight. Seaport Museum staff and special guests lead the discussions. Each month's book selection is announced one month in advance. The book club meets at 6:30 p.m. and is free. If desired, the books can be purchased at McNally Jackson with a 10% discount. Advance registration is encouraged. For more information and to register, click here.
Links to recent issues
Downtown Post NYC is emailed to subscribers, however, if you missed a recent emailed issue, here are some links:
March 12, 2023, Volume 6, No. 66
Demonstration at 250 Broadway protests Landmarks Preservation Commission
Bits & Bytes: CB1 votes 'no' on 'Robert De Niro Way'; Update on bike path terrorist
Bulletin Board: LMCC accepting workspace applications; Resources for immigrants
Estuarium design meeting invites public input
Calendar: Book Talk: Beaux-Arts architecture in New York City
Feb. 6, 2023, Volume 6, No. 65
Outdated Hudson River Rail Tunnels Get Some Federal Funding
Downtown Post Food: Par Ici at the Hotel Barrière Fouquet in Tribeca
Bulletin Board: Register for Five Boro Bike Tour; Donate Bikes for Migrants
Calendar: Black History Month in Lower Manhattan
Jan. 26, 2023, Volume 6, No. 64
Letter from the Editor: Follow the Drinking Gourd
Downtown Post Food: Delmonico's Dispute; Restaurant Week Winter 2023
Bits & Bytes: South Street Seaport Hotel Sold; Goldman Sachs Profit Plunges
Bulletin Board: 9/11 Memorial and Museum 5K Run/Walk; Aid for Migrants
Calendar: Winter Saturdays at the National Museum of the American Indian
Jan. 14, 2023, Volume 6, No. 63
Letter from the Editor: Artemus Ward
Seaport Coalition Wins Legal Ruling Against Howard Hughes Corp.
Bits & Bytes: Restaurant Week 2023; Ice Skating in Lower Manhattan
Bulletin Board: Chinese Calligraphy in the Seaport; Native Winter Games
Calendar: Chinese Lunar New Year in Lower Manhattan
Jan. 10, 2023, Volume 6, No. 62
Letter from the Editor: Local Journalism
New York Congressional District 10's Man in Washington
Bits & Bytes: Grace Lee Goes to Albany; Titanic Memorial Lighthouse Update
Bulletin Board: Fulton Fish Market Book Talk; Recycle Your Tree
Calendar: Silent Films with Live Music at Brookfield Place
Dec. 2, 2022, Volume 6, No. 61
Letter from the Editor: Affordable Housing; In Memoriam: Robert Simko
CB1 concerned about the future of free Hudson River kayaking
Stockings With Care brings holiday happiness to kids in need
Downtown Post NYC Food: Empanadas on 14th St.; Dine Around Downtown videos
Bits & Bytes: 9/11 Fund low on money; A million new trees for New York City
Bulletin Board: Native Art Market at the National Museum of the American Indian
Calendar: December music at Trinity Wall Street
Aug. 13, 2022, Volume 6, No. 60
Letter from the Editor: Primary Election, Round Two
Bits & Bytes: Howard Hughes Corp. buys stake in Jean-Georges restaurant empire
Bulletin Board: Free Covid-19 test kits; Discounted sailing on the Pioneer
Calendar: Blues Barbecue in Hudson River Park
July 3, 2022, Volume 6, No. 59
Letter from the Editor: Who Won
Tribeca Film Festival documentaries add perspective to today's headlines
Bits & Bytes: St. Nicholas Orthodox Church construction update
Bulletin Board: Prehistoric dinosaurs in the Seaport
Calendar: July 4 Fireworks
June 26, 2022, Volume 6, No. 58
Letter from the Editor: Voting Chaos
Downtown Alliance ministers to Lower Manhattan businesses
Bulletin Board: Composting pilot program extended; Free Summer Meals Program
June 24, 2022, Volume 6, No. 57
River to River Festival: 'Lenticular Histories' in the South Street Seaport
Bulletin Board: Bowne & Co. reopens: Schooner Apollonia in the Seaport
Calendar: Swedish Midsummer Festival in Battery Park City
May 30, 2022, Volume 6, No. 56
Letter from the Editor: Happy Memorial Day!
Downtown Post NYC Museums: Hans Holbein the Younger at the Morgan Library
Bits & Bytes: Summer sailing with the South Street Seaport Museum
Bulletin Board: In-person sea chantey singing resumes at the South St. Seaport
Calendar: Fleet Week 2022
May 16, 2022, Volume 6, No. 55
Letter from the Editor: Guns and Babies
Downtown Post NYC Museums: Hans Holbein the Younger at the Morgan Library
Downtown Post NYC Theater: 'Harmony' gets standing ovations
Bits & Bytes: 111 Wall St. getting a makeover; Chef Daniel Boulud opens Le Gratin
Bulletin Board: Fireboat John J Harvey kicks off summer season; Go, Fish! in BPC
Calendar: Adult art programs in Battery Park City
March 2, 2022, Volume 6, No. 54
Letter from the Editor: Soviet occupation
Rapid-delivery grocery services in Manhattan
Bits & Bytes: Seaport's Tin Building nears completion; 1 WTC gets new tenants
Bulletin Board: Jane's Walk; Bach's St. Matthew Passion at Trinity Wall St.
In memoriam: Gus Ouranitsas
Calendar: New York Harbor Seals
Jan. 27, 2022, Volume 6, No. 53
Letter from the Editor: Scandal and Disgrace
Speaker Adrienne Adams appoints City Council committee leadership and members
Bits & Bytes: Sheldon Silver dead at 77; Insurers must pay for at-home Covid tests
Bulletin Board: Ice Sculpture on Governors Island; Covid-19 test scams
Calendar: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
Jan. 5, 2022, Volume 6, No. 52
Letter from the Editor: The Philadelphia Story
250 Water St. Victory for the Howard Hughes Corp.? Not so fast
Bits & Bytes: Crumbling public art; Manhattan gets some new hotels
Bulletin Board: Connection bus is back in service; Poets House rebuilds
Letter to the Editor: Managing Covid
Calendar: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
Dec. 23, 2021, Volume 6, No. 51
Letter from the Editor: Tired, Weary and Mad
Bits & Bytes: Cipriani facing possible foreclosure; Pen Parentis wins NYS grant
Calendar: Becoming Dr. Ruth
Nov. 26, 2021, Volume 6, No. 50
Letter from the Editor: Getting There
Downtown Post Museums: Jennifer Packer at the Whitney
Bits & Bytes: Connection bus service halted; Cruise ships return to New York City
Bulletin Board: Stockings With Care gift collection; Holiday lights
Calendar: South Street Seaport Museum galleries at 12 Fulton St. reopen
Nov. 18, 2021, Volume 6, No. 49
Letter from the Editor: Looking up
Downtown Post Travel: Little Island takes root
Bits & Bytes: 1 Wall St. conversion nears completion; Tribeca art scene
Bulletin Board: Covid vaccination questions answered; Help for small businesses
Calendar: Native Cinema Showcase
Oct. 24, 2021, Volume 6, No. 48
Letter from the Editor: Early voting has begun
Schooner Apollonia plies the Hudson River with cargo from upstate New York
Hudson River fall foliage cruises are not to be missed
Bits & Bytes: A sculpture, 'Water's Soul,' dominates Jersey City's waterfront
Bulletin Board: Geranium giveaway; Release of the fishes
Calendar: Pumpkins and puppies
Sept. 9, 2021, Volume 6, No. 47
Letter from the Editor: We know
Labor Day Weekend's North River tugboat races remembered
Honoring the 9/11 Boatlift
Bits & Bytes: Tin Building construction nears completion; More sky-high dining
Bulletin Board: September 11 anniversary events; Get vaccinated
Calendar: Fall Arts Week on Governors Island
July 12, 2021, Volume 6, No. 46
Letter from the Editor: The Governor's BPC memorial
Protests escalate against the Essential Workers Monument
Bulletin Board: Free Grab-and-Go breakfast and lunch; Wetlab look-ins on Pier 40
Calendar: Films at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park City
June 30, 2021, Volume 6, No. 45
Letter from the Editor: Gay Pride
Some BPC residents protest Essential Workers Monument placement in their park
Bulletin Board: Skyscraper Museum reopens; In-home Covid-19 vaccination
Calendar: River & Blues in Battery Park City
June 22, 2021, Volume 6, No. 44
Letter from the Editor: Vote today!
Bulletin Board: Perks for getting vaccinated; Art on the Avenue seeks submissions
Work by two prominent African-American artists enhances BPC's Belvedere Plaza
Calendar: River to River update
June 6, 2021, Volume 6, No. 43
Letter from the Editor: Milestones
Hurricane Maria Memorial in Battery Park City
Bulletin Board: River to River reservations; Kayaking at the Downtown Boathouse
Bits & Bytes: City Council candidates, District 1; Vestry Street high rise
Calendar: Battery Park City summer calendar
April 29, 2021, Volume 6, No. 42
Letter from the Editor: Head count
Gov. Cuomo and New York State legislative leaders announce FY2022 budget
BPC Girl Scout troop collects supplies for volcano-stricken Caribbean island
Bulletin Board: BPC outdoor art classes resume; Dine Around at The Fulton
Calendar: Governors Island reopens for the summer season
April 9, 2021, Volume 6, No. 41
Letter from the Editor: The visibility of time
Landmarks Preservation Commission again nixes 250 Water St. tower plans
Letter to the Editor: Why latest Howard Hughes tower proposal should be rejected
Summer plans for South Street Seaport Museum's Pioneer and W.O. Decker
Bulletin Board: Bird walks in The Battery; Hudson River Park seeks volunteers
Calendar: Museum of Jewish Heritage and Annual Gathering of Remembrance
March 30, 2021, Volume 6, No. 40
Letter from the Editor: A Perfect Man (Our Governor Cuomo)
104-year-old tugboat Pegasus goes to the scrapyard
Downtown Post Food: Dine Around Downtown at Home series resumes
Bulletin Board: NYC movie theaters reopen; NYS tax filing deadline moved to May
Letter to the Editor: Private lounge blocks Fulton Street in the Seaport
Calendar: Hudson River Park
Feb. 14, 2021, Volume 6, No. 39
Letter from the Editor: Taking an oath
Becoming American
Celebrating the Year of the Ox in Manhattan's Chinatown
Naima Rauam remembers the Fulton Fish Market
South Street Seaport Museum explores the history and context of sea chanteys
Bulletin Board: Rapid Covid-19 testing; LMCC Arts Center residencies
Calendar: The Year of the Ox at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Feb. 8, 2021, Volume 6, No. 38
Letter from the Editor: Our disappearing past
Eliza Greatorex, the artist who mourned and documented old New York
Rebecca Young, New York Philharmonic violist and colleagues play 'Wellerman'
Bulletin Board: BPCA virtual art exhibition; LMCC Arts Center residencies
Calendar: National Museum of the American Indian — 'The Art of Storytelling'
Jan. 21, 2021, Volume 6, No. 37
Letter from the Editor: What happened at Federal Hall
'Soul to Soul' returns online in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Discovering New York on the Empire State Trail
Bulletin Board: Bowne & Co. pop-up shop; NYC primary election information
Calendar: Battery Park City classes and events online
Jan. 11, 2021, Volume 6, No. 36
In Memoriam, Anthony Notaro
It Did Happen Here
Web event: Extremism: What you need to know in 2021
What would Hamilton do about the economy?
Bulletin Board: Battery Park City library reopens; New York State paid sick leave
Calendar: How to visit some Lower Manhattan's museums
Nov. 17, 2020, Volume 6, No. 35
Letter from the Editor: To be continued
Poets House suspends operations indefinitely
Dine Around Downtown: Cooking at Home Edition
Bulletin Board: Tenant Resource Fair; Web application for social services
Calendar: November in Lower Manhattan's museums
Nov. 2, 2020, Volume 6, No. 34
* Letter from the editor: Election Day!
* NYS Attorney General Letitia James issues statement on poll rules and safety
* Voters flock to New York State's early voting polls
* Bits & Bytes: Frenchette bakery opens in Tribeca; Barricade blues
* Downtown Bulletin Board: NYS eviction moratorium; Updated travel ban
Aug. 29, 2020 Volume 6, No. 33
* Letter from the editor: One Man, One Vote
* Borough President Brewer's listening tour of small businesses in Manhattan
* Bits & Bytes: Delmonico's owners feud; China Blue closes
* Downtown Bulletin Board: NYS eviction moratorium; Poll worker jobs
* The future of cycling in Lower Manhattan
* Letter to the editor: Tree loss in Battery Park City
* Calendar: Spotlight - South Street Seaport Museum - Wavertree and Sea Chanteys
Aug. 17, 2020 Volume 6, No. 32
* Letter from the editor: Aug. 14, 1945
* After Isaias, picking up the pieces, assessing the damage
* Construction resumes on St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine
* Bits & Bytes: Tribute in Light gets reprieve; Daily News closes downtown offices
* Small businesses get consultation help from the Downtown Alliance
* Downtown Bulletin Board: NYS eviction moratorium; Final primary election results
* Calendar: Spotlight - The Battery Dance Festival, 2020 edition
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City Council Member Christopher Marte.
(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Marco Pasanella on the South Street Seaport Museum's 1885 schooner Pioneer. Aug. 13, 2015 (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
Greet Springtime With Tea and Snacks
From Té Company
For more information and to order, click here.
The tea room at 163 West 10th St. is open Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information about Té Company, e-mail: hello@tecompanytea.com
Estuarium Design Meeting
On Feb. 27, Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) had an online meeting regarding the Estuarium which HRPT is going to build on the upland side of Pier 26. The purpose of the meeting was to solicit ideas from the public as to some of the things that should be considered in the design. The Estuarium will educate visitors about the Hudson River, including its land and water environment and will conduct research on the river and its ecosystem. The Hudson River Park Trust, through its River Project, will be the operator of the Estuarium. The Hudson River Park Trust recently hired a comprehensive design team led by a Tribeca-based firm, Sage and Coombe, as the Architect of Record and EHDD Architecture, as the Design Architect for this project.
Before starting the building design, the team is incorporating community comments. It is also confirming survey and geotechnical information, verifying flood zone requirements and determining Hudson River water and aquatic wildlife support systems.
The participants in the online meeting were broken up into smaller groups so that everyone would have a chance to comment. The comments reflected a broad range of interests and backgrounds, depending on previous interactions with the River Project and with the Hudson River itself.
Additional comments for the design team can be sent to
estuariumproject@gmail.com
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Battery Park City Authority
Events and Classes Online
Every year, the Battery Park City Authority calendar includes hundreds of programs and classes. Usually these take place in Battery Park City and are open both to residents and people from other parts of the city. Most of the events and classes are free. The BPCA has a YouTube channel where it shares dozens of videos produced by the BPCA's Parks Programming team. Topics include music, art, athletics, nature, cooking, culture, and more. To view the selection, click here.
Seaport Resident Marco Pasanella on Resiliency
Marking the 10th anniversary of the devastation inflicted by Superstorm Sandy on Oct. 29, 2012, South Street Seaport resident and business owner, Marco Pasanella wrote an Op Ed article for The New York Times entitled "I’m No Longer Sure New York Will Protect Itself From Rising Waters." It begins like this:
"Ten years ago, as Hurricane Sandy bore down on New York City, I was standing in knee-high, yellow rubber boots on the ground floor of the Downtown Manhattan building where I live and work. We had piled sandbags outside the front door, covered them with tarps and borrowed sump pumps in preparation. I was frightened. As the water started spilling over the riverbanks just after sunset, Tom Wall, my tenant and an engineer from New Orleans who had weathered Hurricane Katrina, warned, 'If it gets above your knees, we’re going to have to run.'"
And in fact, that's what Pasenella and Wall did just minutes later as the storm crashed through the glass window of Pasanella's wine store on South Street, sweeping everything away in its path. Now Pasanella is wondering whether there's any realistic solution to New York City's sea level rise and climate change crisis except to move to higher ground. "I am no longer convinced that we'll succeed in safeguarding our city in the long term — or even from the next flood," he writes.
He acknowledges that we've made some progress in the last 10 years, but adds that not enough has changed. He also reminds his readers that "big plans" such as the Economic Development Corporation's Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan, which would raise the coastline 15 to 18 feet by extending it into the East River, would cost between 5 billion and 7 billion dollars and has an undetermined timeline. An interim solution entitled "Seaport Coastal Resilience" that would raise the shoreline three to five feet is still in the design stage and is not scheduled to start until 2025 with a completion date of 2027.
Pasanella says that he worries that "three to five feet won't be enough to keep the neighborhood dry."
Another long-term project on the drawing boards comes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and would involve storm surge gates located at strategic points in New York Harbor, buttressed by shore-based levees and sea walls. Pasanella writes that one of the proposed sea walls in the Seaport would be almost 17 feet high "and would block views, light and access to the waterfront." The cost would be $52 billion with an anticipated completion date of 2044.
Pasanella says that, sure, "we have the ability to defend our city in the face of climate change" but goes on to say that in the face of "funding gaps and ever-extending deadlines....we won't do it in time."
His mournful conclusion is that the cobbled streets of the Seaport, which he loves, may be doomed.
(For a link to Pasanella's article in The New York Times, click here.)