Category Archives: Op-Ed

Battery Park City Bed Bugs registered

Bedbugs Registered in Battery Park City

Battery Park City Bed Bugs registered
Battery Park City bed bugs registered

Once the vernacular of a sweet children’s lullabye has in recent times now illicits nightmares when uttered.

Bedbugs.

Recent reports have been put out saying how transient these critters can be and often times transmitted through shared on airplane seats or worse yet, movie theater seats.

Battery Park City has been thankfully quiet in light of the vermin tragedies afflicting our city, including rats and other unsavory critters —
That is until I found the Bedbug Registry.

Granted, our bedbug population is remote compared to our other Manhattan neighborhood counterparts — we are not completely immune.
According to the Bedbug Registry, a site dedicated in recording instances of bedbugs throughout the city, there were four instances in the last couple years:

1. Submitted by “Anonymous” on 06/18/2010
225 Rector Place
“Apartment in upper floors, bed bugs found in bottom corner of box spring in only bedroom. Experienced only 2 nights of evidanced bug bites. Brought in exterminators.”

2. Submitted by “tribecamom” on 04/03/2009
325 North End Avenue
“I found bedbugs in my apartment, the landlord send the exterminator one time, but the treatment didn’t work. We still have found bed bugs in the apartment, we wake up with bites, we can’t sleep properly. My 4 years old daughter has big bites too. I live here from one year and I pay $ 4650,00 monthly. I think to deserve something more…. than bed bugs.”

The following instances were over a year ago, and from registered guests who reported seeing bugs within their homes.

3. Submitted by “Embassy Suites Hotel New York” on 01/13/2008
Woke up with bites Dec. 24th, didn’t think anything of it. Drove home to Maryland, began getting bites at night at home. Spotted two bugs in the bed, exterminator confirmed bedbugs. $650 extermination cost, plus $250 more in new pillows, mattress covers, etc. Still have not returned to bedroom, as entire room is coated in pesticide. Very traumatic experience. Reported incident to hotel, which has offered to reimburse us. They must have found bugs in the room or luggage storage area.

There has been speculation on the web that reporting bedbugs on the registry can be used as a method to break apartment rental leases. Considering that half of all reported bed bug reports in our area comes from people who don’t actually live in our neighborhood — this is a positive thing!

Do you worry about bed bugs?

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Rudolph Giuliani make statements on Ground Zero Mosque

A Tale of Two Mayors: Bloomberg vs. Giuliani

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Rudolph Giuliani make statements on Ground Zero Mosque
Two mayors give rise to two divergent opinions

September 11th marked the line between a United States before and after terrorism. In New York City it also marked the changing of the guard between two mayors. Both of their legacies rely upon the memory of the World Trade Center’s reconstruction. Who would have guessed that an addition of a mosque at Ground Zero would serve as the dividing line between the two mayors.

On one side, Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a born and raised New Yorker, saw through New York’s change under his administration and after September 11th became “The America’s Mayor” for his poise during the terrorist attacks on New York.

On the other side, Michael Bloomberg, who upon his election as Mayor inherited the post traumatic New York environment, only three months after the attack. Bloomberg has been guiding the city for almost a decade after the attack.

Although both men have made major strides in what is arguably one of the toughest cities to run in the country — it’s interesting to note their divergent opinions sharing only one element — their vehement beliefs in their stance.

Guiliani’s Statement:

“It sends a particularly bad message, particularly (because) of the background of the imam who is supporting this. This is an Imam who has supported radical causes, who has not been forthright in condemning Islamic (terrorism) and the worst instincts that that brings about.
“So it not only is exactly the wrong place, right at ground zero, but it’s a mosque supported by an imam who has a record of support for causes that were sympathetic with terrorism. Come on! We’re gonna allow that at ground zero?

“This is a desecration,” he added. “Nobody would allow something like that at Pearl Harbor. Let’s have some respect for who died there and why they died there. Let’s not put this off on some kind of politically correct theory.
“I mean, they died there because of Islamic extremist terrorism. They are our enemy, we can say that, the world will not end when we say that. And the reality is, it will not and should not insult any decent Muslim because decent Muslims should be as opposed to Islamic extremism as you and I are.”

In response to all the opposition the building of the Park51 mosque has received, Bloomberg re-iterates the constitutional right for freedom of religion as the basis of his opinion.

Bloomberg’s Statement:

“The World Trade Center Site will forever hold a special place in our City, in our hearts. But we would be untrue to the best part of ourselves – and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans – if we said ‘no’ to a mosque in Lower Manhattan. “Let us not forget that Muslims were among those murdered on 9/11 and that our Muslim neighbors grieved with us as New Yorkers and as Americans.

We would betray our values – and play into our enemies’ hands – if we were to treat Muslims differently than anyone else. In fact, to cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists – and we should not stand for that.

“For that reason, I believe that this is an important test of the separation of church and state as we may see in our lifetime – as important a test – and it is critically important that we get it right…

“Political controversies come and go, but our values and our traditions endure – and there is no neighborhood in this City that is off limits to God’s love and mercy, as the religious leaders here with us today can attest.”

What do you think about the divergent ideas from both mayors?

World Financial Center Stairs in the Winter Garden, Battery Park City

Saving the World Financial Center Stairs — But How?

World Financial Center Stairs in the Winter Garden, Battery Park City
Should the Winter Garden Stairs receive landmark status?

The World Financial Stairs, first erected nearly thirty years ago, served as an important — if merely utilitarian — gateway for those needing to travel between the Winter Garden and the World Trade Center. The stairs were built to endure and withstand the foot traffic of thousands of people coming to and from the train stations during the lunch and rush hours, as well as serve as impromptu colosseum seating for Winter Garden performances and events.

Like a great marble work of art, the World Financial Stairs have signified and become an unwitting relic of survival and an icon of restoration in the days and now years after September 11th. One cannot see, think, or remember the Winter Garden without the stairs as the backdrop of the minds eye.

These days, most of the steps taken up the stairs are to reach the viewing area where the entrance of the bridge used to be. For almost a decade, light has cascaded freely into both sides of the Winter Garden, helping to further highlight the marble stairs as never before. No longer merely hidden under the soles of the commuters and office workers, the craftsmanship and marble gleam.

Ok, I’m waxing a bit poetic here, but obviously by the title and tone of this article, I’m biased towards these particular stairs.

Despite this writer’s respect, however, the stairs are in jeopardy. Brookfield Properties, owners of the Winter Garden, are scheduling demolition of the stairs in an effort to expand their office and retail offerings.

In the first step toward saving the stairs, an unlikely proponent emerged. Last week, members of the 32BJ SEIU, a local union whose members work at the World Financial Center, began passing out flyers to bring awareness to the World Financial Center stairs. Why does the Union care?

A spokesman from 32BJ SEIU, Matt Painter, reached out to BatteryParkCity.com and had this to say,

“32BJ SEIU is involved because the Winter Garden is an important public space for the city and our members — many of whom live and work in lower Manhattan.  The stairs have a symbolic significance to our union as well.  As the city’s largest building services union, we have members who, as security guards, acted as first responders to the 9/11 attacks.  The restored stairs represent the city’s willingness to rebuild, and the removal of this important removal seems insensitive to the community’s needs and to this important memorial of that day.”

Are the stairs important enough for us as a community to try and save them? We have been able to get immediate response for a tire swing. We’re trying to find landmark status for a former Burlington Coat Factory. It’s time to put it out there, should the World Financial / Winter Garden Stairs receive landmark status too? If so, how? What can we do as a community? What do you think?

[poll id=”4″]

battery park city community response

Week In Review: You Said it (Community Comments)

battery park city community response
You said it! This week's comments from the site.

As we hope everyone has stayed cool this weekend, welcome to BatteryParkCity.com’s “Week in Review.’ Every week, we’ll highlight  selected comments from the site. We urge you to find and add more comments to all our articles as we hope that this keeps the conversation going! As always, feel free to leave suggestions/comments for the rest of us on the site and in our posts.

Battery Park City Bad Cell Service
Bad Service

In ‘Battery Park City Can You Hear Me Now? … Nope!
Diane wrote: “wow – does this resonate! I moved from 50 Murray Street west four blocks to the Solaire last year and it’s almost comical (when it’s not) that my AT&T blackberry NEVER EVER works in my apartment. I’ve considered getting the microcell but what’s the point? as soon as I walk outside – or up to my roof – I have the SAME PROBLEM. I did discover a 5 bar hot spot the other day while having a coffee at the new Pain Quotidien but generally speaking, this is a MAJOR problem which I’ve been told is related to our lovely green environment which doesn’t permit the installation of antennas in parks… something’s gotta give! and articles like these are key to getting the situation addressed as for respondents who claim their calls never drop, they’re lying! thanks for the forum. – Diane”

Tire Swing Saga in Battery Park City
Swing Saga

In ‘Op Ed: Tire Swing Saga: Media Outlets Call BPC Residents “Wimps”‘
Steve Getchell wrote: “When I was a kid, we swung on a steel barbell weight attached to a steel cable wrapped in barbed wire, hung over a dirt patch filled with shards of glass. But I must admit we never hit our heads on anything but the ground. Those were the days.”

Sarah Palin on Ground Zero
Sarah Palin

In ‘Sarah Palin “Refudiates” Ground Zero Mosque on Twitter’
john on west street wrote: “Americans & New Yorkers should welcome this mosque, masquerading as a community center, when Muslims invite America to build a community center or Dinosaur BBQ in Mecca/Makkah.
The America-hating, self-loathing political correctness that allows such an offense to materialize, is duplicitous, and to our own detriment.”

Bernard Kerik Ground Zero Comments
Bernard Kerik

In ‘Bernard Kerik Tweets About Ground Zero Mosque…In Jail?!
AB wrote: “Kerik is a criminal who violated the public trust. His opinion on matters of public concern is worthless.”

Battery Park city Tire Swing Park

Op Ed: Tire Swing Saga: Media Outlets Call BPC Residents “Wimps”

Battery Park city Tire Swing Park
The "Tire Swing Saga" has media outlets calling residents "wimps."

For the past few months, the arrival of the new West Thames playground on Memorial Day weekend has been warmly received. An elaborate ribbon cutting was witnessed by dozens of parents and their children to open the long awaited new tire swing park. On that very same day, a couple of children swinging on the now vilified tire swing “conked” their heads, a term used by Curbed to describe the incident. Curbed went on to mock parents who continue to bring their children to the park by describing them as leading their “children to slaughter.”

As a former kid who enjoyed the original tire swing park, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the old wooden structure and a little bit of sadness that the park is now gone. There are times where I’ve believed that  maybe all of this hullabaloo is a bit of karma from the tire swing gods in the sky — or is it?

Curbed writer Joey reported the story the way it should have been covered — with a bit of jest and humor. While other local news outlets have been reporting this situation with disconcerting seriousness, the candor and ribbing from Curbed is appreciated. Joey proceeds to call Battery Park City residents “wimps” for complaining about a tire swing that has been installed in the same manner in parks — including a dozen in Central Park — all across the city. To placate the controversy, new signs are being installed to warn parents with height-blessed children (of over 4 feet) to avoid using the tire swing.

Yet, there is another thread running through the “Tire Swing Saga.”

When the original tire swing park was slated for demolition (to make way for the extension of the pedestrian path last year), a coalition in support of keeping the original park surfaced. The “Coalition to Save Tire Swing Park” was lead by Matthew Fenton. Ironically, the same man whose own child was one of the very first to be injured by the new tire swing — on the exact day the park opened to the public.

I’m seriously not making this up. Here is an article in 2009 from the Village Voice quoting Matthew Fenton — a staunch and vocal opponent to the new park — in support of saving the original tire swing.

Nearly a year later, here is another article quoting Matthew Fenton regarding the injury of his child, calling for the removal of the tire swing.

(Matthew Fenton is a writer for the local paper, The Broadsheet — which has been following the tribulations of the on-going tire swing saga very closely. Mr. Fenton didn’t attribute himself as “one of those parents” within the article, but the connection was indicated by a small editors note at the end of the article).

In a recent hearing, Jeff Galloway, CB1 member and BPC resident asked, “Is there something peculiar about Battery Park City where we’re not prepared to take a risk everyone else is willing to take? Kids will get hurt in this playground. Kids get injured all the time. Is this risk greater than other risks?”

Truer words were never said, Jeff. Can we now put the Tire Swing Saga to rest and let what happens in the playground stay in the playground?

Battery Park City Community Comments

Week in Review: You Said It! (Community Comments)

Battery Park City Community Comments
Check out this weeks neighborhood comments!

We’ve been humbled by the response we’ve received on the site through comments and suggestions, and so we’ve decided to create a weekly feature called “Week in Review.’ Every week, we’ll highlight  selected comments from the site. We urge you to find and add more comments to all our articles as we hope that this keeps the conversation going! As always, feel free to leave suggestions/comments for the rest of us on the site and in our posts.

Art Vendors in Battery Park
Battery Vendors

In ‘Battery Park to Have Fewer Art Vendors,’
John wrote: “what about the counterfeit luxury bags dealers? between the art vendors and the counterfeit luxury bags dealers, i’d rather see the art vendors stay, and the counterfeit bag dealers go. one group is selling legal merchandise, the other is clearly trading in illegal merchandise. and they make neither commitments NOR investments in our neighborhood. their shady way of operating is the real blight on our streets.”

45-47 Park Place Debris
9/11 Debris

In ‘Mosque Hearing Update and Religious Turf War,’
Dr. John A. Pagnani wrote: “It seems to me that the part of the reconstruction site that is not dedicated to commerce should be a nondenominational space to promote healing and rememberence, not division. I would vote to keep all organized religions from seizing this ground so everyone is able to feel comfortable there. I do not think it should be used to promote any specific religious perspective other than what people bring to the site in their hearts.”

liberty court 200 rector place
Tire Swing Woes

In ‘Liberty Court Residents New Tire Swing Victims,’
M Wood Wrote: “…Of course for the last year or so we have been living through another reconstruction of West Street. In addition, those of us facing West Thames Park just experienced many months of construction, starting early in the morning, sometimes 7 days a week. I think a little context might help make others a little more understanding and actually appreciative of those residents who have stayed here despite these challenges. By the way, my own pet peeve is the ugliness of the new “arbor”, but that is nothing after what we have been through here.”

MTA Cuts greatly affect Lower Manhattan
BPC MTA Changes

In ‘MTA Cuts Ream Lower Manhattan: What This Means,’
Kate S. wrote: “Battery Park City is a wonderful place to live–except when they take away key services like the W train and the M9 bus. The M9 was a link to being able to go out by myself at night and feel completely safe coming home late. What a shame that we, who do not have all the amenities of the rest of NYC, are cut off from the few things that made life here a bit easier.”

UPDATE! Reader Questions: What’s going on with the old JJ’s Deli?

The former location of JJ's Deli is under construction.
"What's going on with JJ's Deli?"

-=Update=-

A representative from the management company sent Batteryparkcity.com an email:

“As you may have seen, the former JJ Deli is once again going to be a deli of higher quality. They should be open in the next few months.”

Further questions about the name, types of food and whether or not it will be 24 hours are unconfirmed, but information will be forthcoming!

Thankfully it’s not a Duane Reade!

———————————————————————–

Whenever I think of JJ’s deli, I’m brought back to 1989-1990 when in an undiagnosed ADD stupor, I left my clarinet at the candy section while waiting for the school bus — sadly, the clarinet was never found again.  A traumatic experience for me and a costly mistake for my parents who wanted to make sure I had no excuse to drop out of the school’s band. I digress.

On Monday, around 5pm — I received 3 emails within a 10 minute period from readers asking the same question:

“What’s going on with the old JJ’s Deli?”

As this site can only find its true potential through contribution — suggestions and questions included — I embarked on my first investigative report on behalf of our neighborhood and readers.

After taking some quick pictures of the permits on the door, I made my transformation into gumshoe.

First stop on the beat — Gatehouse. (I was hungry and it was dinner time). Friend and manager Joe had told me that he thought that JJ’s was turning into another 24 Hour deli or a 7-Eleven. He too hoped I would reveal the identity of Gatehouse’s impending neighbor. After dinner, I decided to dream of Slurpees on the esplanade, determined to try and find answers the next morning.

Yesterday, emails and calls were made immediately to the most logical source — the RY Management office.

A quick search through the NYC Department of Buildings site did not yield any information on what is to replace JJ’s. Information I did discern from the search was that the use of the location would not be changed and new refrigeration units would be installed. The construction company on the permit gave two names: Happy Garden Construction Corp. and Peter Plumbing Associates Inc.

Undergoing a search of the Happy Garden Construction Corp, I yielded an address of their last construction site on 7th avenue in Chelsea which included an area in which a Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts combo was located. Since franchises almost always come in multiples (and a new location had opened at 88 Greenwich street), I felt this was a good direction.

Calls to Dunkin Donuts Corporate confirmed there were new locations scheduled for lower Manhattan, just not for 300 Albany Street. Additional calls to 7-Eleven Corporate Offices and Happy Garden Construction Corporation were not returned.

I did finally receive an email back from the property manager at RY Management. In his cordial email he said, “At this time, I can not release any information on this site, but once I am able to, I will let you know.”

At first I asked my computer screen, “Why not?” — then I realized that contracts might not be finalized, or any number of other reasons could be behind the secrecy.

I reached out to the readers who emailed me with the information so far, and will continue to update everyone as I learn more. One of those readers, Stephen, came up with a brilliant idea of what should happen with the now vacant location:

“Turn it into a 24 shop/cafe. During the day — have it setup for strollers and families of all sorts, serve ice cream, fro yo, etc — it will be an afterschool paradise… post 9PM — serve alcohol and light fare — believe me as one of them — the parents of BPC have nowhere close to go for a quick drink or meet-up AND buy milk… would do gangbusters… now i just need a million to get started! :)”

An all and all excellent idea in my book. Or an IHOP might be nice too!

If you should have any information — please share with the rest of us!

What happens with the Deutsche Bank building?

What Does LMDC’s Demise Mean for Battery Park City?

What happens with the Deutsche Bank building?
What happens with the Deutsche Bank building? (Flickr/tacker)

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. After siphoning Battery Park City surplus revenue in an effort to close the State’s budget deficit, Governor Paterson has decided to dissolve the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) citing years of ineptitude in running the disbursement of funds allocated to the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

One could easily agree that little has been seen from the LMDC– but might also argue that the dissolution of the organization might be a heavy handed option for a community still reeling from the after effects of 9/11 nearly a decade later. Although the LMDC will not be completely shut down, the Governor is proposing cutting the organization by 85% from 35 fulltime staffers to 5.

This is cause for some concern for residents of Lower Manhattan but especially Battery Park City being that the LMDC is the owner and responsible agent for the dismantling of the former Deutsche Bank building, a behemoth skeleton of a visual reminder of how much work is left.

From its inception in 2001 from government and by then Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, the intent of the LMDC was to “work closely with the private sector to determine a proper market-driven response to the economic and infrastructure needs of Lower Manhattan, as well as with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to identify the appropriate redevelopment of the World Trade Center site.”

According to the LMDC’s website, some of its core responsibilities include city operations, communications, community relations, construction mitigation, environmental compliance, fraud prevention, small business development and marketing. Dissolution of the LMDC could affect our community in the following ways:

1. Safety and infrastructural hazards
As if it’s not dangerous or confusing enough to cross the West Side Highway to reach the subway, how will a 5-person team be optimized to make sure that our safety is maintained during the construction at Ground Zero? The implementation of crossing guards in our area, although fiscally insufficient, was still a step in the right direction. With all the confusing bridge detours being built and constantly changed — who will notify us of these changes? High winds during the winter also pose a serious safety risk during construction, if the falling glass panes from Goldman Sachs’ construction site can be used as an example.

2. Dismantling of the Deutsche Bank Building
The history of the former Deutsche Bank building post 9/11 has been riddled with corruption and safety concerns. From the issues surrounding the decontamination of the building to the safety of the workers dismantling the building, who will be accountable if something goes wrong? According to the LMDC, concerned residents can call a hotline to report incidents at the site as to avoid what happened on August 18, 2007 when a fire spread through the site killing 2 firefighters.

3. Environmental Compliance
The progress reports that are issued by the LMDC are important for our community as the demolition affects the health of the air we breathe during its decontamination. Although most of us probably haven’t even seen one of these reports — it’s important that they be maintained in order for us to be aware of the hazards that might exist during the demolition.

4. Small Business Development
The lack of business real estate means the lack of foot traffic of businessmen and women, which translates into the decimation of small businesses in our area. As we roll into our 9th year of waiting for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site — who will help the small businesses that residents rely on in this underserved area? Although disbursements of small business grants have been slow from the LMDC — there is still almost $800 Million dollars of yet to be disbursed funds. These funds were meant for the development of Lower Manhattan distributed through the LMDC. When the governor dissolves the LMDC, what will happen to that funding?

These are four compelling reasons as to reconsider dissolving the LMDC. If the organization needs less ineptitude and better people to run it — why restructure and re-organize the LMDC instead? There must be a better option for the betterment of a still embattled Lower Manhattan.

Anna Chapman or Anya Chapman

Anna Chapman: Our Friendly Neighbor and Russian Spy

Accused Russian Spy Anna Chapman
Accused Russian Spy Anna Chapman (Credit: Facebook)

Sitting amongst the rest of the patrons at the Tribeca Barnes and Noble, Anna Chapman would type away at her laptop just like many others in the cafe area. Except that Anna Chapman was not just like any one of us — she was a Russian spy. According to newly released reports on the arrest of 11 Russian operatives today, it was at our local Barnes and Noble in which Anna had sent messages back to her Russian spy handlers.

Although by now, the reports are internationally widespread — the 11 alleged Russian spies are not being charged with espionage.

According to the federal documents, Anna Chapman had been tailed and conducting spy communication at the book store:

“On March 17, 2010, law-enforcement agents, acting pursuant to judicial orders, performed video surveillance on a book store located in the vicinity of Greenwich and Warren Streets in Manhattan (the “Book Store”). CHAPMAN was inside the Book Store. At the same time, Russian Government Official #1 was across the street from the Book Store, carrying a briefcase. I observed CHAPMAN pull a laptop out of the Tote Bag. CHAPMAN stayed in the Book Store for approximately thirty minutes; Russian Government Official #1 was in the vicinity of the Book Store (but outside) for approximately twenty of those thirty minutes. As part of the surveillance operation, law-enforcement agents utilized a commercially available tool that can detect the presence of wireless networks. Law-enforcement agents were able to detect a particular MAC address – MAC ADDRESS A – at the time that CHAPMAN was observed powering on her laptop computer; law-enforcement agents were also able to determine that the electronic device associated with MAC ADDRESS A created the AD HOC NETWORK. Approximately three minutes after the creation of the AD HOC NETWORK, another electronic device with MAC ADDRESS B was detected joining the AD HOC NETWORK. ”

Now granted, the “Book Store” in question has not been identified as the “Tribeca Barnes and Noble,” but considering that there aren’t many other book stores on that corner — unless you want to count the cookbook section of the Whole Foods a book store, we are pretty confident it happened in our neighborhood. So while you’re cruising on Facebook in the Barnes and Noble cafe, Anna Chapman was conducting espionage communication. Pretty cool in my spy novel book.

The page could not have been written better except if Ms. Anna Chapman didn’t conduct her spy work at the Mysterious Bookshop on Chambers Street.

Although being fingered as a Russian Spy might be seen as a lesser character trait — Ms. Chapman is being portrayed in media as the “bombshell” or “sexy” spy with the fantastic Financial District apartment. If anything, we owe Ms. Chapman for lending our neighborhood with a little bit of that mysterious sexy cache. It will be interesting to see what other details of her spy work happened in and around our neighborhood.

To have another astounding glimpse at Anna Chapman not focused on in the news, check out her Linked In profile page.

If any of your friends ever have any kind of credentials that resemble hers — you should think twice about whether or not you know your said friend. 😉

battery park city news

Welcome to BatteryParkCity.com! :)

We're putting out the welcome mat for the community on BatteryParkCity.com
Welcome to BatteryParkCity.com

Dear Reader,

It’s with open arms that I welcome you into BatteryParkCity.com! It had been years in the dreaming, and months in the making but the site is finally here! We encourage you to visit the site where we promise to bring you Battery Park City “made fresh daily.” To get to know the site, is to get to know a little bit about me and the rest of us who contribute to BatteryParkCity.com.

I have lived and grown up in Battery Park City since since 1985. For the little girl in me, the World Financial Center was my playground. The system of bridges and tall skyscrapers to a young girl in the 80’s felt like a fortress of strength. Indestructable and protective. Battery Park City’s esplanade was where I sold my first cup of lemonade, I had my first kiss, the path on which I rollerbladed to Stuyvesant High School, where I had my first job at Foxhounds. It’s the backdrop of both my prom picture, my wedding photo, and when my heart broke forever on that fateful September day.

Battery Park City has slowly but steadily rebuilt itself. I’ve seen families stay, I’ve seen families leave. I’ve watched businesses succeed and great businesses die because people in our neighborhood had no idea what was beyond the subway stop.  There is something about this neighborhood unlike any other in the city. For the great spirit we have here, I wanted to create a gift for the community. A place where we could all connect, learn, and keep in touch with the things that are going on in Battery Park City — online. For us who own homes, we’ve grown increasingly concerned with the real estate market as it affects our investments here. At times we feel like outsiders wondering what is happening at Ground Zero. Sometimes we just want to reach out to our neighbors and let them know we’ve got an extraordinary dining room table that needs a good home. Whatever the reason is, the focus of this site is to connect with one another… and it’s our goal to help achieve that! 🙂

The site is maintained and written by a handful of residents who both live and work in the area. I encourage others to drop us a note if you’d like to join as a contributor! Send us an email at [email protected].

So I welcome you again to BatteryParkCity.com. As much as it’s our site, it’s your site too. We openly welcome suggestions, comments and criticisms. (Just punch with kid gloves on the latter!)

Sincerely,
Elizabeth