Lower Manhattan’s Local News
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Being Vigilant about the View
CB1 Opposes New Restaurant Planned for Public Land Proposed in Seaport
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A rendering of the plan for a restaurant beneath the FDR Drive, in the Seaport neighborhood.
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Community Board 1 (CB1) is stating its opposition (for the fourth time) to a plan that would create a new restaurant beneath the FDR Drive, in the South Street Seaport neighborhood.
The proposal would demolish an existing storage shed (located alongside South Street, between Fulton and John Streets) that contains two public bathrooms, and replace it with restaurant housing a 2290-square-foot dining area with 30 tables and 85 chairs, along with a 700-plus square foot bar area with 26 seats. The new structure would largely eclipse the view corridor that frames panoramic vistas of the East River (and the tall ship Wavertree) from John Street.
CB1 went on record opposing this plan three times in 2019, enacting resolutions in January, February, and July of that year, urging City officials to veto the project. But as Bruce Ehrmann, chair of the Board’s Landmarks Preservation Committee noted at the CB1’s June 23 meeting, “the Parks Department keeps coming back to apply for an enormous — now slightly smaller — kind of stand that blocks the view of the one remaining tall ship in the Seaport collection, that blocks the cross street and is across the street from the playground. And we rejected this out of hand, and if they want to keep coming back with proposals like this, we asked them not to.”
The resolution debated at the June meeting noted that the, “continued concern that while the new design is a minor improvement, it does not address the blocking of pedestrian view corridors from Manhattan of the Seaport and views of Brooklyn and the East River,” and that, “preserving the integrity of the South Street Seaport’s historic shoreline is vital to keeping the historic district intact and unobstructed.”
The resolution, which passed unanimously, urges the City to, “deny any further proposals, temporary or permanent, that would block any views of the East River from South and Water streets on all city streets from Old Slip to the Brooklyn Bridge.”
Matthew Fenton
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Eyes to the Sky
August 10 – 23, 2020
Summer’s real fireworks: Perseid meteor shower peaks August 11th/12th
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Summer’s real fireworks, the Perseid meteor shower, is predicted to peak overnight tomorrow, Tuesday, August 11, until dawn Wednesday the 12th. Plan on a night out – away from artificial light. The day before and after peak also provide opportunities to catch heightened numbers of shooting stars. Look before moonrise tonight, the 10th, and before dawn tomorrow morning, the 11th. Continue this rhythm through dawn Thursday. Moonrise is 11:39 tonight and one hour later everyday this week. Darkness begins to lift around 4am.
Perseid meteors are seen every year from mid-July until the last week in August when we, along for the ride on planet Earth, delight in orbiting through the debris field left by comet Swift-Tuttle, a periodic comet that returns every 133 years. Most recently, the comet, named after its modern day discoverers, was visible with the aid of binoculars in 1992.
The Perseid meteor shower is celebrated as one of the year’s best, with 100 meteors per hour expected under optimum conditions. This year, we are challenged to watch for the meteors in the presence of a waning moon. Fifty meteors per hour are likely in dark sky locations. Although the Perseids are most prolific in the hours before dawn when the constellation Perseus has climbed high in the sky, it is worth skygazing before moonrise and again before dawn.
The average speed of Perseid meteors is 37 miles per second, creating fast-falling streaks of light with long, lingering tails. We could be swept away by colorful fireballs, too.
The shooting stars appear everywhere in the sky, although it is useful and enriching to be aware of the apparent radiant, or source, in the northeastern sky at the edge of the constellation Perseus.
During the pre-dawn hours, looking east, greet the rising of winter constellations and the goddess of love and beauty, brilliant planet Venus. Venus is visible through morning twilight.
Judy Isacoff
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Out of the Ashes
After Two-Year Hiatus, Work Resumes at St. Nicholas Church
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday led a ceremonial resumption of construction at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, within the World Trade Center complex.
The building, designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava (who additionally created the nearby Oculus, also in the World Trade Center) is slated to replace the historic structure, dating from the 1830s, that hosted Orthodox congregations from 1922 onward, when Greek families living in Lower Manhattan raised sufficient funds to purchase building, which had previously served as a private home and a tavern.
Eight decades later, that building (located on Cedar Street, between West and Washington Streets) was destroyed by falling debris from the Twin Towers, on the morning of September 11, 2001. To read more…
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To Revitalize Local Enterprise
Downtown Alliance Throws Lifeline to Downtown Restaurants and Retailers
The Downtown Alliance is inaugurating twin projects that aim to boost Lower Manhattan small businesses, which are struggling in the wake of the pandemic coronavirus and the economic downturn it has sparked.
In the first of these, the Alliance has teamed with BentoBox, an e-commerce platform that creates individualized online tools for restaurants, so that Downtown eateries can set up their own web-based ordering interfaces.
“Our program with BentoBox will eliminate the need for third-party services that eat into restaurant profits,” says Alliance president Jessica Lappin. “Our local eateries, which already operate on razor-thin margins, are facing a once-in-a-generation crisis. This will empower New Yorkers to better support the local favorites that need our help.”
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‘W’ As in ‘Wave Goodbye’
Another Downtown Luxury Hotel Closes Its Doors
Lower Manhattan’s W Hotel, a 56-story trophy building erected amid the wave of giddy real estate speculation that followed the terrorists attack of September 11, 2001, then was nearly shuttered by the economic downturn of 2008, has succumbed to the latest recession.
The upscale lodging accommodation, which closed temporarily at the outset of the pandemic coronavirus, has announced that it will never reopen, according to legal notices filed with Albany regulators.
This is the latest in a wave of hotel implosions in Lower Manhattan in recent months. To read more…
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CLASSIFIEDS &PERSONALS
Swaps & Trades
Respectable Employment
Lost and Found
———————————————————–
Winter Sublet Available
Beautiful, NW corner 2b-2b. Legal sublet through mgmt.
Dec 1 through April 30. Fewer months possible.
Great kitchen appliances and updated bathrooms.
References required.
Call or text 917-538-5595
Personal assistant needed
for filing, packaging/mailing, spreadsheets.
Apple computer proficiency.
Handyperson skills helpful.
SHSAT TUTORING
Stuyvesant HS graduate
available for SHSAT tutoring. $40/hr. Zoom or in-person.
NOTARY PUBLIC IN BPC
$2.00 per notarized signature.
Text Paula @ 917-836-8802
Nurse’s Aide
Caring, experienced Nurse’s Aide seeks PT/FT position.
Excellent references.
ELDERCARE:
Available for PT/FT Exp’d. Refs.
Experienced Elder Care
Able to prepare nutritious meals and light housekeeping.
Excellent references.
HOUSEKEEPING/ NANNY/ BABYSITTER
Available for PT/FT. Wonderful person, who is a great worker. Refs avail.
Worked in BPC. Call Tenzin
347-803-9523
Seeking Full-Time Live-In Elder Care
12 years experience, refs avail.
I am a loving caring hardworking certified home health aide
Marcia 347 737 5037
IT AND SECURITY SUPPORT
Expertise in 1-on-1 tutoring for all ages. Computer upgrading & troubleshooting. Knowledgeable in all software programs.
347-933-1362. Refs available
If you would like to place a listing, please contact
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Tuesday, August 11
(Please note these events are scheduled for tomorrow)
2PM
Family Papers: A Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century
Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
For centuries, the Greek port city of Salonica was home to the sprawling Levy family – leading publishers and editors who helped chronicle modernity as it was experienced by Sephardic Jews across the Ottoman Empire. As the wars of the twentieth century redrew borders around them, the Levys were gradually transformed from Ottomans to Greeks. Family members soon moved across boundaries and hemispheres, stretching the familial diaspora from Greece to Western Europe, Israel, Brazil, and India. In time, the Holocaust nearly eviscerated the clan, eradicating whole branches of the family tree. In Family Papers: A Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century, prizewinning Sephardic historian Sarah Abrevaya Stein uses the Levy family’s correspondence to tell the story of their sprawling journey. Join us for a conversationwith the author and Columbia University Professor of Israel and Jewish Studies Clémence Boulouque for a discussion of the book and Sephardic experiences during the Holocaust $10 suggested donation 3PM
Museum of American Finance
In celebration of Hamilton: An American Musical coming to Disney+, Financial Narrative is hosting a conversation with Hamilton luminaries and thought leaders to talk about the man, the musical and the real story. Members and friends of the Museum are welcome to join this free virtual program featuring two of our Hamilton experts, David Cowen and Richard Sylla moderated by Stephen Tisdalle. 3:30PM
New York Academy of Sciences
Diverse top leaders and problem-solvers are critical to fostering and accelerating creativity and innovation in STEM. Join the Academy and Hudson River Park as we hear from a panel of diverse STEM experts who will talk about their work, the many opportunities available for students interested in exploring a STEM career, and the importance of supporting diversity in the STEM workforce. This panel discussion is designed to offer strategies for high school and college students interested in STEM careers, as well as graduate students and postdocs.
6PM
Managing Stress in Trying Times
LMHQ
Stress management can be challenging in normal times, but it can seem almost insurmountable in the middle of a global pandemic.
In this workshop, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist Tracie Pinnock will help participants understand how stress presents itself in their lives, how well they currently deal with stress, and how to put systems in place to better manage it. After participating in Tracie’s researched-based exercises, you will walk away with a basic stress-relief practice that you can utilize daily for coping with the stress in your life.
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Recently Reopened Businesses Downtown
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Get Out on the Water
from North Cove
Need a safe and breezy break from your apartment? Several cruise operators have reopened in North Cove and are offering opportunities to get out on the water, including Tribeca Sailing, Ventura, and Classic Harbor Line. All cruise operators are adhering to social distancing guidelines; check individual websites for details.
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Grotto Pizzeria is more than just a pizzeria.
Hidden down a few steps on the tiny street called New Street between the New York Stock Exchange and Bowling Green
Grotto Pizzeria features original pizza pies, along with many other take-out favorites.
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CONTACTLESS FREE DELIVERY or IN-STORE PICKUP
OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 9AM – 9PM
69 New Street 212-809-6990
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Flat Tire? Rusted Chain? Bent Rims?
GothamFix
A mobile bicycle shop offering service and parts
Open Tuesday through Sunday • 646-322-9557
Corner of Greenwich and Chambers Street.
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The Honorable William Wall is open
Click for more information.
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Today in History August 10
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1519 – Ferdinand Magellan’s five ships set sail from Seville to circumnavigate the globe. The Basque second-in-command Juan Sebastiбn Elcano will complete the expedition after Magellan’s death in the Philippines.
1628 – The Swedish warship Vasa sinks in the Stockholm harbour after only about 20 minutes of her maiden voyage.
1755 – Under the orders of Charles Lawrence, the British Army begins to forcibly deport the Acadians from Nova Scotia to the Thirteen Colonies.
1897 – German chemist Felix Hoffmann discovers an improved way of synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).
1932 – A 5.1 kilogram (11 lb) chondrite-type meteorite breaks into at least seven pieces and lands near the town of Archie in Cass County, Missouri.
1961 – Vietnam War: The U.S. Army begins Operation Ranch Hand, spraying an estimated 20 million US gallons (76,000 m3) of defoliants and herbicides over rural areas of South Vietnam in an attempt to deprive the Viet Cong of food and vegetation cover.
1969 – A day after murdering Sharon Tate and four others, members of Charles Manson’s cult kill Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
1977 – In Yonkers, New York, 24-year-old postal employee David Berkowitz (“Son of Sam”) is arrested for a series of killings in the New York City area over the period of one year.
1988 – Japanese American internment: President Ronald Reagan signs the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, providing $20,000 payments to Japanese Americans who were either interned in or relocated by the United States during World War II.
1995 – Oklahoma City bombing: Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols are indicted for the bombing. Michael Fortier pleads guilty in a plea-bargain for his testimony.
Births
1267 – James II of Aragon (d. 1327)
1439 – Anne of York, Duchess of Exeter, Duchess of York (d. 1476)
1874 – Herbert Hoover, American engineer and politician, 31st President of the United States (d. 1964)
1889 – Charles Darrow, American game designer, created Monopoly (d. 1967)
1933 – Keith Duckworth, English engineer, founded Cosworth (d. 2005)
Deaths
1932 – Rin Tin Tin, American acting dog (b. 1918)
2019 – Jeffrey Epstein, (b. 1953)[27]
Edited from various sources including Wikipedia,and other media outlets
from mainstream to extreme.
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395 South End Avenue,
New York, NY 10280
212-912-1106
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No part of this document may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher © 2020
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