At 5:45pm tonight, the traditional tree-lighting ceremony in Battery Park City will take place. The event will last until 7pm in South Cove. Three trees will be festooned with strands of multi-colored lights, which look absolutely magical as they reflect off the water.
In addition to the tree-lighting, there will be caroling and Santa Claus will be in attendance. Piping mugs of hot chocolate and hot cider will be served, along with cookies.
The celebratory event is also philanthropic, as attendees are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys, books and clothing, all of which will be donated to Stockings With Care, a charity launched by Rosalie Joseph, a BPC resident. Stockings With Care’s mission is to offer gifts to children in crisis whose circumstances cause them to lack the same type of fun and festive holiday season that more fortunate kids tend to experience.
At the corner of Fulton and Gold Streets is a brand new green space. The park, named DeLury Square and covering almost 9,000 square feet, was “built with nearly $2.3 million from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.” More green spaces are in the works to go along with all the other construction in the area.
Says Community Board 1 Chair Julie Menin, “it’s great to have this area of tranquility and calm and a place where people can really relax and enjoy.”
Construction and development go on in lower Manhattan as the area continues to recover from the September 11th attacks. As reported by NY1, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe says green space projects such as DeLury Square “helps to complete the recovery. The complete recovery of Lower Manhattan.”
Do you see these green space projects as part of the recovery in your area, or do you think the funds might be better spent on other needs?
Dog Owners Request for Off-Leash Trial Period Denied (Credit: BPC Dogs)
The cold weather is rolling in, but don’t expect your dog to work up a sweat running free in Battery Park. Off-leash dogs can still net you a hefty fine.
Last friday Manhattan Parks Commissioner Bill Castro denied a request for an off-leash trial in Battery Park. According to reports from DNAinfo, Castro said “more discussions were needed,” which will no doubt  take place in December when the parties are scheduled to meet again. The Tribeca Trib has also reported that the installation of a dog run was offered as a compromise to the off-leash dilemma.
In was July when we reported that parks officals began handing out tickets for off-leash dogs, enforcing a law that had otherwise been forgotten (or ignored). Local dog owners were expectedly upset at this sudden enforcement; the fine for an off-leash dog can be $100. Since this summer, dog owners have banded together, collecting over 800 signatures in support of an off-leash area for pets to run free.
Do you think a dog run is an acceptable compromise?
The Downtown Alliance is Hoping to Bring Visitors to Cultural Attractions (Courtesy: Seth Werkheiser)
Just in time for the holiday tourism season, the Downtown Alliance is offering considerable savings to many downtown institutions. Launched yesterday, the Downtown Culture Pass gives you three days of free entry and other discounts to some of downtowns’ cultural attractions.
The Downtown Culture Pass starts at $25 for adults, with discounts for teens and children, and is valid through February, 2011.
David Cowen, president of the Museum of American Finance, told DNAinfo.com, “While some of those institutions already offer free admission, it would still cost over $70 to visit all of them.”
Six museums in all are offering discounts on admission through the Downtown Culture Pass, including the Fraunces Tavern Museum, the Museum of American Finance, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the National Museum of the American Indian, the New York City Police Museum, the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site, the Skyscraper Museum, the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, as well as the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site. Also featured are the Tribute WTC Visitor Center, the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site and a discount on Wall Street Walks.
Have you visited any of these museums? Do you think this is a good deal?
A Pace University student was fatally shot inside  his apartment at 2 Gold Street in the Financial District, early this morning.
According to authorities, the victim is 22-year-old Max Moreno. He was rushed and later died at Bellevue Hospital.
Moreno was found in the downtown luxury rental building on the 37th floor. Police are looking for two suspects who got past doormen to fatally shoot Moreno in the head. According to reports, Moreno was a known marijuana dealer and the shooting may have been a drug deal gone bad.
A man and a women were purported to have initially tried to rob Moreno of both money and drugs.
Moreno died from a single gunshot wound to his left temple.
Moreno’s roommate was home at the time and fled the apartment after the shooting but was followed and beaten by the suspects.
According to NYPD, detectives are investigating whether this was a set up.
Anyone with any information on the incident are asked to contact the NYPD at (212) 334-0611 or Pace University Security at (212) 346-1800. All tips will be held confidential.
Motorcycles stolen across our area (Credit: Flickr/Roinks)
September marked the end of the summer heat but the start of hot motorcycles.
According to local police blotters, nearly a handful of motorcycles were reported stolen in our area within a two week span. The locations of the thefts include:
336 Albany Street
Sept. 2, 2010 @ 2 PM
A $12,000 motorcycle was reported stolen
68 Franklin Street
Sept. 3, 2010 @ 8:30 AM
A $14,000 motorcycle was reported stolen.
80 North Moore Street
Sept. 10, 2010 @ 12:30 PM
A motorcycle was reported stolen.
10 Liberty Street
Sept. 14, 2010 @ 5 PM
A motorcycle was reported stolen.
Coincidentally and most likely unrelated to the local thefts, a national motorcycle ring was arrested with some motorcycles coming from the New York area. Motorcycle thefts are nothing new to the area as New York City ranks fifth in cities reporting the most motorcycle thefts.
The frequency of which the motorcycle thefts occurred in September is cause for some alarm for motorcycle owners in our area. For our motorcycle endowed neighbors, here are some tips on keeping your motorcycle secure:
1. Keep your motorcycle in a inconspicuous area or concealed location.
2. Install a hidden kill switch, which must be activated to start your bike.
3. Along with your bikes built in lock, use alternate methods of securing your bike such as a secondary lock system.
4. Common sense also dictates, never leave your motorcycle running while unattended.
Residents of the Hallmark Retirement Center on North End Avenue are victims of serial robberies occurring in the complex.
The thefts occurred and were reported in July and August and have amounted to nearly $60K in lost jewelry according to an article published today in the Daily News.
The thefts reported include:
-In July a woman reported a lost $10,000 Italian watch and an approximately $20,000 diamond bangle bracelet.
– On July 27th, a 98-year-old woman reported $21,400 worth of jewelry stolen from a bedroom closet.
-On August 9th, a 90-year-old woman reported $6,000 worth of jewelry stolen while she was away on a hospital stay.
As it turns out, policies implemented within the assisted living facility have seemingly helped to facilitate robberies. There are no surveillance cameras inside the building, certain employees have keys to all apartments and residents are required to notify the facility when they leave the premises for extended medical or personal reasons.
According to the same article, representatives at Brookdale Senior Living, the company that owns The Hallmark, “Theft is not tolerated at our communities, and we internally investigate and report to proper authorities claims of theft of which we become aware,” said spokeswoman Holly Botsford.”
However, according to residents the facility has done little to placate resident concerns and their cries have fallen on deaf ears.
We will continue to update this story as new development arise.
Does your young Mozart need an outlet beyond Rock Band?
The Downtown Interschool Orchestra is now holding open auditions for school aged children to join this season.
Founded in 1972, the InterSchool Orchestra is a non-profit organization that has become New York’s premier orchestral performance and training program fro young musicians ranging from 6-20 years old. This years Downtown Interschool Orchestra will be conducted by James Blachly.
Nearly 300 students citywide participate in the program which holds 30 performances annually in some of New York’s esteemed concert halls.
Although there is a cost to join, no child is turned away for financial reasons and scholarship opportunities exist.
If you are interested in enrolling your child in this premier program, auditions are held before every weekly rehearsal through October. Those who are interested in auditioning should reach out to Gary Tigner. Rehearsals are held Mondays from 4:45-5:45 at Trinity Wall Street in the Choir Room.
Today marked the annual Tunnel to Towers Run, a 5K race in honor of Stephen Siller, a firefighter who lost his life on 9/11. The race starts at the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and ended at the World Financial Center.
Battery Park City residents can now rely on more than just a line of people and distant shadows of the Downtown Connection bus to determine its arrival.
The Downtown Alliance has installed countdown clocks at seven main stops along the Downtown Connection bus route. The bus route connects several main landmarks downtown.
The clocks were installed and include the The World Trade Center, The Financial District, The South Street Seaport, City Hall, Tribeca and Battery Park stops.
Over 836,000 residents and visitors take the Downtown Connection every year. A free service provided by the Downtown Alliance, the buses will be equipped with GPS systems that will communicate with the countdown clocks. The clocks will track the arrivals of the next two buses to help riders make the best use of their time.
The countdown clock should conceivably help add ridership for the buses with a definite arrival time.
According to the Downtown Alliance website,
“Riders of the Downtown Connection—the Alliance for Downtown New York’s free bus service in Lower Manhattan—will now know exactly when the next bus will arrive. The Business Improvement District has installed seven LED signs, which list the next two arrivals, along the 37-stop route.
The NextBus program uses Global Positioning System tracking satellites to provide accurate vehicle arrival/departure information and real-time data to passengers waiting at selected Downtown Connection stops.
Funding for the program was secured by New York State Senator Daniel Squadron and established in coordination with the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT). Thanks to a grant from Goldman Sachs, two additional signs will be installed in Battery Park City in the coming months.
The Downtown Alliance launched the Downtown Connection in late 2003, instantly improving Lower Manhattan’s quality of life and accessibility. The buses shuttled more than 834,000 workers, residents and visitors in 2009, and the Downtown Alliance expects ridership to increase this year. The shuttle buses run at 10-minute intervals from 10 AM to 8 PM daily, with more limited service on weekends.”
Although the use of countdown clocks will conceivably increase ridership for tourists, residents are still reeling from the loss of the W Train and M9 lines.Leaving the question on when residents will be able to have reliable transportation OUTSIDE of the neighborhood?
