Plans for the Cordoba House Mosque

Rick Lazio Demands WTC Mosque Investigation

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Rick Lazio, Ground Zero, Andrew Cuomo
Rick Lazio's Open Letter to Andrew Cuomo suggests "questionable" motives for WTC Mosque (Credit: Flickr)

As we suggested, politicians should heed last week’s Quinnipiac Poll.

We just didn’t know the first politician would be Rick Lazio.

Riding on the heels of a report that more than half of all New York voters oppose the building of the Cordoba Initiative mosque, the Republican gubernatorial candidate has openly challenged his Democratic opponent and current Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to investigate.

According to Lazio, “New Yorkers have a right to feel safe and be safe. There are serious security questions about the appropriateness of this mosque.”

In his formal request, Lazio asserts that an investigation must be made into the backgrounds of both the Imam in charge of construction as well as its questionable funding.

Here is the complete letter to Attorney General Cuomo which was posted on Lazio’s official website:

July 7, 2010

The Honorable Andrew Cuomo

Office of the Attorney General

The Capitol

Albany, NY 12224-0341

Dear Attorney General Cuomo,

I am writing on behalf of the people of New York who share my concerns for their personal security and safety with respect to the construction of the Cordoba Mosque in lower Manhattan. Recent press reports have highlighted the following troublesome issues:

• The Imam in charge of the construction refused to acknowledge that Hamas is a terrorist organization. (New York Post, 6/19/10)

• The Imam of the project is a “key figure” of Perdana Global, the single largest funder of the flotilla that tried to break the blockade of Gaza by Israeli defense forces. (New York Post, 6/5/10)

• The questionable background of the funding sources for the construction of the Mosque. (New York Post, 5/25/10)

Given that the Cordoba Initiative is a legally registered charitable organization with the New York Attorney General’s Office, my fellow New Yorkers and I are asking you to immediately conduct a thorough investigation of the previous items highlighted by the media with respect to the construction of this Mosque in lower Manhattan. The people have the right to know if this “charity” is using its resources in a legitimate, legal, and charitable way.

New Yorkers were shocked and appalled at the silence of our state law enforcement officials when the Obama Administration decided to stage a civilian trial of admitted terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in lower Manhattan. We hope that we can depend on our state officials for more competent leadership with respect to this extremely sensitive matter.

I and the people of New York await your rapid and full response.

Sincerely,

Rick Lazio

The cornerstone has not be laid out and it seems we’ve got a long road of controversy before any prayers begin. How do you feel about the allegations and the building of the Cordoba Initiative?

Bennies Thai vs. Mangez Avec Moi

Race to My Place: Bennie’s Thai vs. Mangez Avec Moi

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Bennies Thai vs. Mangez Avec Moi
It's Bennies Thai vs. Mangez Avec Moi!

For each installment of Race to My Place, we pit two restaurants with similar cuisines, estimated delivery times and prices against each other to see whose delivery reigns supreme! We compare delivery speed, packaging and presentation, quality and taste, and value. For this Thai food race, our contestants were Bennie’s Thai Cafe and Mangez Avec Moi.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like there has been a huge Thai food craze in NYC in the past few years. Either way, I can’t complain, because Thai food is one of my absolute favorite cuisines.  It was the most authentic Thai food I’ve ever had in NYC was at Tong Thai Brasserie in the West Village. As the most authentic and affordable Thai food I’ve had in the city, I was devastated when Spice took over, and have been on a hunt for good Thai food ever since.  I almost laughed at the prospect of finding that here in BPC, but I’d heard good things about both Bennie’s Thai Cafe and Mangez Avec Moi, so I was excited to see how their pad thai and red curry with chicken measured up as I pitted them against each other for this series of Race to My Place.

Delivery Speed: Bennie’s Thai Cafe
Both restaurants delivered their food in a decent amount of time, but Bennie’s only took 29 minutes opposed to Mangez’s 36 minutes.

Packaging & Presentation: Mangez Avec Moi
Although neither restaurant did anything special with their presentation, Bennie’s packaged their chicken curry in a tin tray with a plastic cover- not exactly the best container for a dish with lots of sauce.  The curry ended up leaking everywhere, so it was a mess to clean up and there wasn’t enough curry to mix with all the rice!  Mangez’s simple plastic container was much more secure and kept all the food where it was supposed to be.

Quality & Taste: Tie
I have to be completely honest and say that for the first time since I’ve started these races to my place, I’m looking forward to eating these left overs.  This food was absolutely  mouth watering- I can’t remember the last time I ate food so rich and flavorful.  Although the two restaurants tied in quality and taste, they each had one dish that was better than the other.

Bennie’s pad thai was the best I’ve ever had, hands down.  The noodles were cooked perfectly and it was well seasoned with just the right amount of tang.  They placed some crushed peanuts on the side which made the whole dish even more rich and buttery.  Mangez’s pad thai came in a much smaller portion and the noodles were really hard.  It wasn’t as flavorful either, although they provided some sweet and sour sauce on the side so you could control how tangy you wanted the noodles to be.

Bennie’s curry chicken, on the other hand, was a little on the dry side.  The curry sauce, however, was sinfully creamy and had a really robust coconut flavor which I found absolutely delectable, and they also delivered some of the softest rice I’ve ever gotten from a restaurant in NYC.  While Bennie’s red curry was pretty rich, Mangez’s red curry chicken was out of this world.  Their curry was a little spicier and had a noticeable ginger taste to it.  What really set them apart though, was their succulent chicken.  The meat was fall-apart tender like a perfect pot roast, and it was incredibly juicy and had an intense flavor of its own, which added another layer to the complex flavors of the curry.  This was so good I could order this every single day and be perfectly content.

Value: Tie
Bennie’s Thai Cafe has some lunch specials that are cheap and give you the most bang for your buck.  However, none of their noodle dishes are on the lunch special list, so their pad thai is a little more expensive.  Mangez has most of the popular Thai dishes on their lunch specials list, but it’s not as cheap as Bennie’s specials.  Here is the breakdown:

Bennie’s Thai Cafe
Pad Thai: $9.95
Red Curry Chicken Lunch Special: $5.95

Mangez Avec Moi
Pad Thai: $7.95
Red Curry Chicken: $7.95

I was genuinely surprised at how good the food from both of these restaurants were.  My ideal meal would be Bennie’s pad thai with Mangez’s red curry chicken, but I’m not sure if that would satisfy the delivery minimums for each restaurant.  Either way, I’m extremely relieved that I no longer have to venture far for my Thai food fix!

NYTimes Panoramic View of the World Trade Center Memorial Pool

Panoramic Look at the World Trade Center Memorial Pool

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NYTimes Panoramic View of the World Trade Center Memorial Pool
NYTimes.com's Panoramic View of the WTC Memorial Pool (Credit: Fred R. Conrad/NYTimes)

As construction at the World Trade Center site continues, the semblance of one recognizable landmark at Ground Zero is near completion.

The New York Times has launched their panoramic view within the Memorial Pools — which will mark the footprints of the original Twin Towers.

Check out the interactive piece at NYTimes.com.

Building Vacancies Drop in Battery Park City and Tribeca

Condo Sales Up in Manhattan — Except In Our Neighborhood

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Condo sales rise citywide except in Financial District.
Condo sales rise citywide except in Financial District.

Condominium sales have climbed throughout all of Manhattan except in the Financial District, according to Radar Logic, the company that runs the RPX index which calculates condo sales. The RPX index measures 8 separate neighborhoods in Manhattan and reported that prices declined in five out of eight Manhattan neighborhoods, with our neighborhood accounting for the steepest drop in both sales and price per square foot.

In April, Manhattan condo sales had seen a stark rise to 383 units — 246 units over last years figures. However, compared with March numbers, April condo sales were up 20%.

An increase in condo sales is usually good news –except the overal price per square foot was down 6.9% year over year. Our neighborhood which is included with condominiums located in the financial district had reported an average price per square foot drop of nearly 16.% percent  — at approximately $869.21 per square foot. Whereas Murray Hill/Gramercy Park reported the biggest gain, with a 6.4% to $1,014.04 per square foot.

The decrease in square foot value is due to the amount of inventory in and around our area — with developers pricing units to sell. According to the report, “The principal problem facing the housing markets is one of oversupply — at the current levels of demand it will take years to absorb unsold inventory.”

102 North End Avenue Battery Park City

Hello Goldman Sachs — Goodbye NYSC and others

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102 North End Avenue Battery Park City
Hello Goldman! Goodbye New York Sports Club and others

We have Goldman Sachs to thank for using the Independence Day weekend to free us from the conveniences of our local gym and other stores some Battery Park City residents have grown to love.

Our newest corporate neighbor and owner of 102 North End Avenue has not offered renewal leases for some local restaurants and businesses including Applebees, New York Sports Club, Pizzabola, and Chevy’s among others. The landlord is cleaning house and also shuttering the Embassy Suites hotel to make way for The Conrad, a luxury Hilton Hotel brand.

The introduction of this new hotel will also lead the way for new restaurants and retail stores. While some are glad to see a change for more upscale dining options in our neighborhood, others — including committee members of Community Board #1 — decry it, saying it doesn’t serve the mixed income interests of the community. Whether we love these places are not is still yet to be seen. One thing is for certain — the sudden lack of services and possible construction impediments will affect our neighborhood almost immediately.

Although there isn’t much that residents can do to about the end of Chevy’s and Applebees beyond renting a car and heading to the ‘burbs, one of the most immediate pitfalls in this “landscape transition” is losing the New York Sports Club. Although several of our buildings have our own gyms — the NYSC was still the neighborhood’s largest and most robust fitness center. Leaving newly orphaned NYSC members with the question: “Where do we go now?!”

Some official answers have been left for local residents on the Town Sports, Inc. website:

“All Battery Park City members now have Passport privileges allowing unlimited access to all clubs across the Sports Clubs Networks.” Whether or not you have subscribed as a passport member before.

Other New York Sports Clubs within walking distance of Battery Park City are:

NYSC Tribeca at Reade Street
151 Reade Street

NYSC City Hall
217 Broadway

NYSC Wall Street
30 Wall Street

For anyone who has specific questions towards their membership, New York Sports Club is requesting you call BPC’s NYSC management team at (212) 945-3535.

Although this is a short term solution for patrons of the BPC’s NYSC, one cannot help but feel a bit helpless. Goldman Sachs has always had powerful control over our local restaurants and services, which affect the overall landscape of our neighborhood. As long as they are mindful of residential needs — it will be nice to see some fresh retail and restaurant blood in the neighborhood. Especially if it remotely involves a Shake Shack.

liberty court 200 rector place

Liberty Court Residents New Tire Swing Victims

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liberty court 200 rector place
Liberty Court residents complain of sand in their face.

First an injury on the new and quickly beloved Tire Swing Park had the neighborhood up in arms. Now it’s a wind tunnel of sand being thrown in the faces of Liberty Court terraces at 200 Rector Place, say residents of the building.

According to a report in the Under Cover section of the Downtown Express, the injuries of wind swept sand onto residential balconies have resulted in torn corneas and will inevitably lead to property damages for those apartments facing the newly constructed playground.

In an email sent to Community Board 1,

“About half a cup a day is flying onto the balconies — more comes in through windows, landing of course on everything inside. This includes into peoples’ eyes and into bedding and foodstuffs.”

Residents of this building have threatened to take action against the sand issue and have aired their grievances with both the New York State Department of Transportation and the Battery Park City Authority Conservancy, who had partnered together to build the new playground.

Liberty Court or 200 Rector Place has had a tough break with the playground area. The area had been previously used as evidence holding post 9/11 and was an area enduring the demolition and construction of the Rector Street bridge and Route 9W construction.

Are you a resident in this building that can speak more to this issue? Let us know if this issue has affected you.

Queen Elizabeth visits Lower Manhattan

Queen Elizabeth Visits Ground Zero

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Queen Elizabeth visits Lower Manhattan
Queen Elizabeth visits Lower Manhattan

As mentioned previously, Queen Elizabeth II will be in our neighborhood today. Although poignantly not visiting the United States during our Independance Day holiday from the British — Queen Elizabeth II will be in New York City today, which includes an address to the United Nations General Assembly and a visit to Ground Zero. This would be the first visit of the site by the Queen since the September 11 attacks.

The Queen is scheduled to lay a wreath at the site of the World Trade Center construction today with her husband, Prince Philip — also in town.

Families and relatives of victims of the attack as well as first responders will also have a chance to meet her highness, who is in town to formerly open the British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square here in Lower Manhattan. The Garden is dedicated to 67 British citizens who had lost their lives during the World Trade Center Attacks.

Queen Elizabeth has a history of visiting Lower Manhattan. Her first trip to our area was in 1957 where she made her first visits to the Statue of Liberty, rode on the Staten Island Ferry and was even greeted with her very own ticker tape parade on the Canyon of Heroes. Her last trip to our area was in 1976, where she marked the Bicentennial of America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain — part of an six day tour of the East Coast.

Her slated visit to Ground Zero is scheduled for “late afternoon” so be wary of closings and extra security in and around the World Trade Center during that time.

Battery Park City Fourth of July Fireworks

July Fourth: Best Picks for Battery Park City

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Battery Park City Fourth of July Fireworks
Battery Park City is a great place this year for Macy's Fireworks viewing!

Depending on the year, we either have the best views of the famed Macy’s fireworks in Battery Park City — or we’ve got nada.

Lucky for us… this year is a phenomenal year for the Macy’s Fireworks!!

The fireworks are set to begin at 9:20 p.m. and will have six barges along the Hudson River. The theme of the show this year is “American Harmony” which will feature music that emphasizes the glory of American history.

The New York Pops Orchestra and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will perform, and there will be unique versions of classic patriotic tunes performed by Straight No Chaser, Broadway Inspirational Voices, U.S. Army Soldier’s Chorus, and United We Sing. The music will be performed in sync with the fireworks and can be heard on 1010 WINS. For those who prefer an HD and air-conditioned view of the show, NBC will broadcast the fireworks live beginning at 9 p.m. EST.

For those who are interested in being closer to the action uptown, be mindful of the following street closings:

Fireworks will be launched from six barges in the Hudson River. 12th Avenue will be closed below 59th beginning at 4 p.m. for viewing. Pedestrians can access the 12th Avenue from 11th Avenue at 24th, 26th-30th, 34th, 40th-44th, 47th-52nd and 54th-57th streets. The West Side Highway will be closed to vehicular traffic from 22nd-59th Street starting at 4 p.m.

However, the Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks are viewable from anywhere you have an unobstructed view of the sky above the Hudson River.

Some other events worth noting this weekend are:

Rosanne Cash Concert at Governors Island:
An outdoor concert with Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Rosanne Cash — bring a picnic and discover Governors Island!Free ferry service starting at 10am from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street between Whitehall and Broad Streets, adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry.

The Battery 4th of July Concert and Family Festival – Dan Zanes Jam & Jubilee: Enjoy a free performance by Dan Zanes Jam & Jubilee in Battery Park at 2 p.m. Details and directions available on their website. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Revolutionary War Walking Tour:
Big Onion Walking tours will have a 1 p.m.  walking tour of sites related to the Revolutionary War in Lower Manhattan. Fraunces Tavern, the graves of Alexander Hamilton and General Richard Montgomery, and Federal Hall are among the sites featured on the tour. Admission: Adults $15, Seniors & Students $12. Meet at the intersection of Broadway and Murray Street, at gated entrance to City Hall Park.

Spirit of New Jersey July 4th Dinner Cruise:
See the fireworks while you enjoy dinner, open bar, and live music on Spirit of New Jersey’s cruise from 6 – 11 p.m. (5 p.m. boarding) for $263.90 per person departing from Chelsea Piers. (Price does not include taxes, fees & required gratuities, which add about $80 per ticket.) Consult their website for details and reservations.

Circle Line Downtown’s Zephyr Cruise:
The Zephyr boards at South Street Seaport Pier 16 at 6 p.m., sailing from 6:30-11:30 p.m. Tickets are $165 and $120 for children, and include live DJ and buffet dinner with a cash bar available.

Opponents of the Park51 mosque are found nationwide.

Ground Zero Watch: New Yorkers Oppose Mosque Plans

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Mosque Protest
A Quinnipiac University poll finds most New Yorkers are opposed to Cordoba House.Â

Protests were inevitable, once plans for The Cordoba House Initiative were made public. The building of a mosque near the World Trade Center site was bound to cause public outcry and controversy.

That being said, who could have predicted that more than 73% of all Staten Islanders would be opposed?! Better yet, more than half of all New York voters polled in a recent Quinnipiac University poll were found to be opposed to the building of the Cordoba House in Lower Manhattan.

Plans for the Cordoba House Mosque
Plans for the Cordoba House Mosque

The Cordoba House Initiative includes plans to build a 13-floor Muslim institute which will include a mosque and community center only 600 feet from Ground Zero.

Politicians better listen up to these findings considering that the anniversary of September 11th will always precede Election Day. It would be smart to heed the concerns of over half of New York City voters.

Currently, the only thing standing in the way of the greenlight for the Cordoba house is passing approval from The Landmarks Preservation Commission who are scheduled to vote on the project later this month.

According to other information gleaned from this poll:

-55% of New Yorkers polled said “mainstream Islam” is a “peaceful religion” compared to 22% who found that Islamic beliefs “encourage violence against non-muslims.”

-73% of Staten Islanders polled opposed the building, versus 14% in support of the Mosque.

-46% of Manhattan voters were in support of the bulding, versus the 36% opposed.

-1,183 registered voters were polled between June 21 to June 28

-The margin of error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

How do you feel about the Cordoba House initiative?

Battery Park City Greenmarket Thursdays at 225 Liberty Street

Battery Park City’s Greenmarket is Here! (Well.. Until November)

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Battery Park City Greenmarket Thursdays at 225 Liberty Street
Our Greenmarket is Here! Hooray!

Our neighborhood has just been served… with a side of swiss chard, organically pasteurized eggs with pies for dessert!

Battery Park City now has a Greenmarket to call its own.

After being Greenmarket connoisseurs without a country — Battery Park City’s Greenmarket is here to stay until November 24th.

Starting today and every Thursday from 8AM until 6PM, greenmarket vendors will be set up in the ring road right outside 225 Liberty Street at South End Avenue.

If this morning is any indication — a key piece of advice is to get to the stands before you head out to work. The fresh veggies, fruits and baked goods will certainly be snatched up by our business neighbors by lunchtime. Case in point: while perusing the stalls at 9:30am, some of the best looking produce had already been procured leaving many visibly empty spaces within the lush terrain of fresh produce. Also, while heading to the greenmarket — there were several people heading back to their apartments with bags of produce leaving in the opposite direction all before 9am.

We can’t blame them. The Greenmarket is very exciting for the southern portion of our neighborhood. Before today, the best excuse the South End part of the neighborhood had for fresh produce has been the fruit cart flanked at Albany Street and South End Avenue. The North End of the neighborhood has been blessed with easy access to the Tribeca Greenmarket as well as the Whole Foods. The location of Battery Park City’s greenmarket is smartly placed in the center of the neighborhood — easy enough for everyone to get to. Not to mention it’s also an excellent use of a ring road that seems hardly used post 9/11.

While speaking with the Greenmarket representatives, we asked if there was a possibility for the vendors to stay throughout the winter and brave blistery winds for fresh winter produce. They had informed us that as long as the Greenmarket is proven successful, an extension for the Greenmarket to stay year round is definitely a possibility. As far as the wind was concerned, the Greenmarket people claimed that this location is apparently not the windiest in the city. (Obviously the Greenmarket grasshopper has much to learn!)

The vendors who will be in our neighborhood every Thursday are:

Migliorelli Farm – Vegetables and fruit
Meredith’s Bakery -Bread and baked goods
Red Jacket Orchard – Fruit, juices and assorted bottled goods such as apple butter.
Binder Farm – Plants and flowers
MK Orchards – Orchids and hydrangeas
Valley Shepherd – Sheep, cow and goat cheese, pasta, butter, yogurt and gelato
Lavender by the Bay – Fresh lavender and assorted lavender products.
Beth’s Family Farm – Jams and preserves
NY Wine & Grape Association – NY state local wines
Holten Farms – Vegetables, fruit, maple syrup, honey, eggs, baked goods, and meat including, beef, turkey, pork, chicken and lamb.

Yum! Welcome Greenmarket! May you help all of us eat healthier meals.
Check out some of the photos we took from our first visit to the Battery Park City Greenmarket!