Proposed World Trade Center Site (Courtesy: Renewnyc.com)
Although rebuilding efforts at the World Trade Center site look promising, the deals that are backing construction are tenuous as best, the New York Post is reporting this morning.
According to the article, “The Port Authority’s 1 WTC is pushing skyward, and Larry Silverstein’s 4 WTC should start major construction soon. The towers together would restore about half of the Twin Towers’ 8.8 million square feet of office space.”
However, two impending deals between Silverstein, Durst and the Port Authority could potentially fall through, leaving the World Trade Center site with just its memorial pool, empty space and a near empty office building.
Silverstein still needs to iron out details on converting nearly $1 billion in Liberty bonds into a construction loan. The funds, which are currently in escrow, must be converted soon if development is to be finished by 2013. Durst, who was just announced as the latest developer on the 1 WTC site, is still hammering out a deal which would ensure a partnership stake on his development.
Gee! We thought there was real no holds barred progress happening. To find out more about the intricacies of the details read the announcement here.
How do you feel about this? Does this surprise you or should this be no cause for concern?
To everyone in plain sight, Sean Kimerling was the bastion of health. The local WPIX sportscaster and Mets pre-game announcer exercised daily, ate healthy and enjoyed playing golf whenever he could.
The Battery Park City resident had it all, good looks a great career but also didn’t know he also had cancer. After suffering through which he thought was exercise induced back pain, Sean Kimerling was diagnosed with testicular cancer and after fighting a short battle — succumbed to the disease. He was 37.
It was during his battle that he wanted to make a difference by bringing preventative care awareness to men. Armed with his wishes, his family set up the Sean Kimerling Foundation and nearly 7 years later the organization continues to help fight the disease through awareness in honor of the late sportscaster and fellow Battery Park City neighbor.
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men between the ages of 15 and 40. It also has one of the highest cure rates of all cancers, with a survival rate of over 95 percent if detected and treated early . Our goal is that all men will have the information they need about the disease, its symptoms and what to do about them so that more cases will be diagnosed early, and lives saved.
The 7th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament and Dinner which is held in honor of Sean, himself an avid golfer, will take place on August 9. For more information on how you can join this event who’s guests include Rick Ackerman, Ottis Anderson, Ron Darling, Darryl Strawberry and other sports legends, please vista their website here.
In our neighborhood, going to the “movies” was often a code word to go shoe shopping. However, Battery Park City shoe lovers will need a dose of retail therapy when their beloved DSW is slated to close September 3rd. Proving another store bites the dust to make way for the new Conrad Hotel in Battery Park City.
While this is terrible news for some, this is fantastic news for others. As Battery Park City husbands who have married shoe addicts are secretly rejoicing. No more requests to go to the shoe store before a movie.
Store employees confirmed with us that the store’s lease was not renewed and that another location was not planned for Downtown Manhattan. They also wanted to mention that customers could visit their Union Square and Downtown Brooklyn locations, but admitted visiting those locations is tantamount to a full contact sport and a “zoo.”
A formal sign had been placed in the lobby of the Union Square Theater on Sunday to further confirm the stores closing.
As a shoe lover, this one really takes a hit on my heels. How does DSW closing affect you?
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.
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”
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
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.”
Mussels on the menu at Petite Abeille West Broadway
Petite Abeille is a quaint Belgian restaurant most known for its Mussels and Belgian Waffles. With four Manhattan locations, no one can deny that this restaurant has outlived New York’s Belgian food buzz, and their Tribeca location certainly does them justice.
If you choose to dine here, do yourself a favor and try a new beer- your waiter will definitely be able to find something you’ll enjoy out of their 50 different Belgian beers. All four of the beers our waiter recommended- from the strong and heavy Scaldis ($8.50) to the sweet and fruity Lindemans Framboise ($9.50)- were delightful and a great way to start the meal. They also had the added benefit of enhancing our appetite which we were extremely grateful for later on in the evening!
The appetizer portion of the Moules Marinieres ($9.50) were more than enough for two people to share. I could definitely see why their Wednesday night all you can eat specials are so popular; the mussels were fresh and not the least bit grainy, and the white wine broth was divine. Petite Abeille also provides diners with deliciously crusty, chewy, and sour bread that’s perfect for dipping into the broth.
Belgian Waffles from Petite Abeille
For my main course, I got the Vol Au Vent, Frites ($18.50), which was basically a deconstructed pot pie with pommes frites on the side, definitely not a meal for the calorie cautious! The pommes frites were kind of overkill, especially since they were soggy and undercooked. The chicken, on the other hand, was slightly dry and overcooked, but the sinfully creamy gravy provided a great textural balance. The deconstructed nature of the Vol Au Vent insured that the puff pastry stay puffy, and the bacon and mushrooms were a perfect addition to this indulgent meal. If the chicken weren’t so dry, this would definitely rank in my top 5 chicken pot pies.
Vol Au Vent from Petite Abeille
After that heavy dish, I definitely felt the need to unbutton my pants and call it a night, but I couldn’t leave without trying the Belgian Waffles. This was an instance in which the masses were correct: The Gaufre Chantilly ($7.00), or the waffle with whipped cream and strawberry sauce, was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten, and I don’t even like waffles! Actually, I don’t particularly like waffles, whipped cream, or strawberry sauce, but together these three elements create perfection!
Even if you’re not into mussels, please, take my advice and drop in for dessert, or try one of their tamer options like a burger or steak frites. You won’t be disappointed!
Bernard Kerik's opposition of mosque is released from prison.
Everyday another notable figure has come out in support or against building a mosque at Ground Zero. Today’s person of dissent is former New York City Police Commissioner, current inmate Bernard Kerik. This has left several people baffled — since most inmates are not allowed Internet access.
That did not stop Bernard Kerik to update both his twitter and his personal blog to oppose the development of Park51 by the Cordoba Initiative:
“Supporting the building of a Mosque just 600 feet from Ground Zero is absolutely outrageous, and for those politicians that are doing so under the guise of the First Amendment and Freedom of Religion, I would suggest that for once you not worry about being politically correct.
Think of the victims and the families they left behind on 9/11; the security implications for the surrounding area, the involvement in the project of those with questionable backgrounds and most importantly, the perception it will create in those countries and with those groups that sponsor Islamic terror. For them… this is the trophy that will stand as a symbol of victory.
This has nothing to do with religion… It’s just the right thing to do. Allowing this project to move forward is insensitive at best and should not be permitted.”
His twitter left a link pointing to a YouTube video produced by Frank Gaffney regarding the building of the mosque and an open message to America.
People speculate that Bernard Kerik has limited access to email approved family members, who in turn might have posted the items for him on his blog and Twitter account.
The latest politician to take an opposing stance regarding the Park51 Mosque at Ground Zero is Newt Gingrich. Which in itself isn’t very surprising. What is the most surprising revelation from his statement is that he’s bidding for the White House in 2012.
Gingrich’s statement on the mosque released last night reads as follows:
“There should be no mosque near Ground Zero in New York so long as there are no churches or synagogues in Saudi Arabia. The time for double standards that allow Islamists to behave aggressively toward us while they demand our weakness and submission is over.
The proposed “Cordoba House” overlooking the World Trade Center site – where a group of jihadists killed over 3000 Americans and destroyed one of our most famous landmarks – is a test of the timidity, passivity and historic ignorance of American elites.  For example, most of them don’t understand that “Cordoba House†is a deliberately insulting term. It refers to Cordoba, Spain – the capital of Muslim conquerors who symbolized their victory over the Christian Spaniards by transforming a church there into the world’s third-largest mosque complex.
Today, some of the Mosque’s backers insist this term is being used to “symbolize interfaith cooperation” when, in fact, every Islamist in the world recognizes Cordoba as a symbol of Islamic conquest.  It is a sign of their contempt for Americans and their confidence in our historic ignorance that they would deliberately insult us this way.
Those Islamists and their apologists who argue for “religious toleration” are arrogantly dishonest. They ignore the fact that more than 100 mosques already exist in New York City. Meanwhile, there are no churches or synagogues in all of Saudi Arabia. In fact no Christian or Jew can even enterMecca.
And they lecture us about tolerance.
If the people behind the Cordoba House were serious about religious toleration, they would be imploring the Saudis, as fellow Muslims, to immediately open up Mecca to all and immediately announce their intention to allow non-Muslim houses of worship in the Kingdom. Â Â They should be asked by the news media if they would be willing to lead such a campaign.
We have not been able to rebuild the World Trade Center in nine years. Now we are being told a 13 story, $100 million megamosque will be built within a year overlooking the site of the most devastating surprise attack in American history.
Finally where is the money coming from? The people behind the Cordoba House refuse to reveal all their funding sources.
America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization. Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could.
No mosque.
No self deception.
No surrender.
The time to take a stand is now – at this site on this issue.”
How is your cell phone reception in Battery Park City?
Caller: Hello?
Me: Yes.. Can you..
Caller: You’re really breaking up.
Me: Yes I know… can you..
Caller: I can’t — You’re really breaking up.
No, this is not a scene from a bad romantic comedy, this is a seemingly every call occurrence made from my cellphone in Battery Park City.
Added to the litany of issues I have with my iPhone 4 and my ever super human “death grip,” I’ve had quite enough with the cellular service, or lack thereof in this neighborhood.
In an effort to find some answers — or at the very least attempt to find some maps letting me know where in Battery Park City one would have the best shot at making an important call, an interesting website surfaced.
Cellreception.com is a cell review site which does product and service reviews throughout the United States. Although it’s pretty rudimentary in collecting data (you have to sift through piles of comments), sometimes leaving you to wonder if the phone issues are actually more user error than cell reception dead zones.
Some Battery Park City related complaints I found on the Internet include:
A Verizon Customer:
“Verizon’s signal fades in and out, and there is no consistency. Very high probability of call being dropped.” – Person in Rector Place
A Cingular/AT&T Customer:
“My roommate has Cingular and can only get reception in 1 corner of our apartment” – Person in Battery Park Area
A T-Mobile Customer:
“I live in NYC, Battery park city and I have had little or no service the last year I have been living here, The customer service is Horrible, THEY REALLY DO NOT CARE AND CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM! tried to switch to a new phon(which they made me pay for, LOL) PLEASE DO NOT GO WITH T-MOBILE IN NYC, THIS IS HORRENDOUS SERVICE AND RECEPTION.” -Christine from Battery Park City
In another cell reeption data study, the Wall Street Journal had published an article stating that the worst cell reception areas are located in and around the West Side Highway. In an included reception map, the area near Battery Park City suggests that no one in our neighborhood ever experiences dropped calls. Which I find incredibly hard to believe.
According to the recent Nielsen study, only 92% of all cell phone calls go through in New York City. Those figures are not enough, what I really want to know is how many phone calls actually go through in Battery Park City.
So now we ask you the question: How is your cell service?
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.
(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?
Conrad Hotel in Chicago is a peek into what's to come in BPC
In a new interview published by Hotelworldnetwork.com, details are coming forth about the new Conrad luxury hotel slated to open in Q4 2011.
The interview with head of luxury brands John T.A. Vanderslice discusses the Hilton’s luxury brands strategy in opening up its 5th United States location in Battery Park City.
According to Vanderslice, “Conrad’s forthcoming entry in the New York City market is indicative of the brand’s formidable development pipeline which also includes future properties in other important global cities such as Dubai and Beijing With regard to the timing of the Conrad New York announcement, our development decisions are made for the long-term and there are many indications that the luxury segment is rebounding with demand on the rise. Additionally, there is currently a relatively low luxury supply in New York’s Financial District so we hope to satisfy an important and growing market need.”
Considering there is a Ritz Carlton and a W hotel within a two block radius of Ground Zero, we’re not certain we agree with that sentiment.
Vanderslice also goes on to point out features of this new luxury hotel,
“A distinguishing feature of the Conrad New York will be the hotel’s typical room size. Typical rooms will average between 500 and 550 square feet, which is extremely generous by any standard, let alone by the space-conscious standard of New York hotels. Additionally, like all Conrad properties, the Conrad New York will feature the smart luxury, flawless service, and technological sophistication that enable guests to enjoy the rare luxury of being themselves.”
Keeping true to the hotel brand’s philosophy, “The luxury of being yourself.”
In a press release for the hotel, the proximity of the hotel to the Freedom Tower is being heavily touted. As well as a noted commitment to providing high end amenities and dining establishments within the hotel,
“The soaring, sunlit 15-story atrium lobby features a dramatic Sol LeWitt art piece rising 13 floors above the check-in desk.  Each luxuriously appointed guestroom will feature an average of more than 550 square feet, a minimum of two flat panel televisions and a full complement of contemporary electronic features.  Conrad New York will also feature upscale dining and beverage outlets that are consistent with Conrad’s global definition of luxury.  Interior design is being styled by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, Office dA and Remedios Studios.
In addition, more than 17,000 square feet of flexible meeting space will ensure that guests can stay connected and meet in comfort, supported by state-of-the-art technology and meeting facilities. Â A 6,000 square foot Grand Ballroom is designed to accommodate conferences and social gatherings for more than 600 participants.
Existing Conrad properties in the United States include Conrad Miami, Conrad Chicago, Conrad Indianapolis and Conrad San Juan.”
