Tag Archives: battery park

Restauranteur Peter Poulakkos Up for Lease on Pier A

Pier A
What will become of Pier A?

The New York Times reports that restaurateur Peter Poulakakos, owner/operator of Harry’s Café and Steak and other Wall Street-area eateries, is the leading candidate to be granted a lease at the 125-year-old Pier A at the edge of Battery Park. The Battery Park City Authority are scheduled to vote on the matter today, amid what is perceived as a veil of secrecy by some locals.

Poulakakos said, “I would do several good things for Lower Manhattan.” He would not, however, elaborate on what his plans entail. The BPCA hopes that Poulakakos could help inject commercial activity into the area. The BPCA controls the pier, which had fallen into a state of decay and disrepair over the years.

Some locals feel that the pier should include a cultural institution to help attract the millions of tourists expected to visit the World Trade Center memorial once it opens. Another lease bidder, Joseph J. Grano, Jr., has proposed the development of an Italian-American museum at the location, but he has not been given any sort of go-ahead.

What is your opinion of a restaurateur being granted a lease at Pier A? Do you frequent the area?

battery-park-city-dog-leash-law

Dogs Banned From Running Free on Battery Park Lawn

battery-park-city-dog-leash-law
Battery Park CIty dog owners are on a short leash

Manhattan Parks Commissioner Bill Castro will probably be in the dog house with Lower Manhattan pet owners, as he has announced that the city will not allow dogs to run free and off-leash on the lawn in Battery Park. The reason for putting the kibosh on canines? The dogs and their waste could prevent other users from enjoying the spacious, open grass area, which is set for renovation next summer.  The lawn at Battery Park was previously the only large and open space downtown where dogs were allowed to run off their leashes.

Despite banning dogs from the park’s grass, Castro did say that a temporary dog run will be created on one of the park’s asphalt paths. The city will provide movable barriers and mark off over 6,000 square feet of pavement where dogs would be permitted to run and play from 6 to 9 AM daily. The Downtown Dog Owners Association is attempting to fight this decision, garnering 800 signatures along with their request to use the park lawn to exercise their pups. The DDOA says dogs are also part of the local community, and that the asphalt is brutal on paws while natural grace is the perfect surface for running. Some residents also expressed confusion as to why the Parks Department allows dogs to run off-leash in other parks but not Battery Park; size was cited as the issue.

Castro, however, will continue to meet with the DDOA about this issue. The next meeting is slated for December 13.

Do you think this Battery Park ruling is unfair to dogs and dog owners?

Battery Park City Annual Pet Parade

Still No Off-Leash Dogs in Battery Park

Battery Park City Annual Pet Parade
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?

James Cavanaugh Resigns from the Battery Park City Authority

Battery Park City Authority President to Step Down

James Cavanaugh Resigns from the Battery Park City Authority
James Cavanaugh Resigns from the Battery Park City Authority

James Cavanaugh, President and CEO of the Battery Park City Authority has resigned from the public entity, according to an emailed statement.

Citing the changes in the Battery Park City Authorities focus from buildings to people in the community, Cavanaugh also alluded to an attractive State offered early retirement option as one of his reasons for resignation.

He will officially leave his post in October and his successor has yet to be named. Sources speculate that the current Chief Operating Officer Gayle M. Horwitz would be a prime candidate for the President role.

William Thompson, current Battery Park City Authority chairman who himself was recently appointed by Governor Paterson, will be responsible for nominating the next President of the authority.

Cavanaugh joined the Battery Park City Authority in 2004 as its Chief Operating Officer and was named President in 2005. Prior to overseeing the public corporation he had served as a Supervisor for the Town of Eastchester in Westchester County, New York.

The elimination of the M9 bus affected Battery Park City residents

Community Board Revisits M9 Elimination

The elimination of the M9 bus affected Battery Park City residents
MTA's elimination of the M9 bus has affected Battery Park City residents

This summer’s cuts to MTA service left many Battery Park City residents in the lurch. The M9 bus was an important line to connect residents west of Broadway to points east, including Chinatown and much of the Lower East Side. (Of course, we also lost the convenience of the W train at area subway stops: a loss that, while not of the magnitude of the M9 removal, has added 15 minutes to this writer’s daily commute).

While the W train has waved its last goodbye, is there still hope for the M9?

Community Board 1’s Battery Park City Committee will be discussing the affects of losing the M9 bus in its next meeting on September 7th.

If you have been affected by the route elimination, please let us know how it has changed your commute — and what you have done to accomodate for the loss of service — by leaving a comment below or by emailing us at [email protected]. We’ll make sure to forward your stories to the committee to discuss during the September 7th session.

Man Paddleboards from Florida to Battery Park City!

Tom Jones paddles into Battery Park City (Credit: New York Daily News)

Tom Jones wanted to do something to raise ocean awareness.
(No, not sing “She’s a Lady,” that’s a whole other Tom Jones)

Tom Jones of Huntington, California wanted to take a 1,500 mile trip along the Atlantic Ocean from Key West, Florida to Battery Park City, New York to raise ocean pollution awareness.

“Going out in the ocean and doing this campaign was a way for me to see how bad the situation was out there, Every day I was in the ocean I would see plastic bottles, food wrappers, all type of trash. It’s incredible given the volume of the ocean,” said Jones to the New York Daily News.

During his journey, Jones encountered sharks, horse flies and an unfortunate circumstance with an alligator after hitting the animal’s leg with his paddleboard.

A crew drove along the coast with Jones, and another colleague floated along with him to pass him food and water.

Jones traveled in 15 miles stretches a day and finally landed in Battery Park City after 90 days of paddleboard travel.

According to his approach to the narrow waterways of New York City, “Coming into New York City, where the waterways are tighter, the plastic is so dense,” he said. “There’s plastic forks, 5-gallon plastic buckets, bags, cups, all of that.”

Welcome to New York buddy!

Conde Nast Flagship Building Will Move to Ground Zero World Trade Center

Conde Nast Moves Headquarters To New World Trade Center

Conde Nast Flagship Building Will Move to Ground Zero World Trade Center
Conde Nast moves its headquarters to the new World Trade Center site

If you build office space, someone is bound to move in. Conde Nast has confirmed they signed a tentative deal that would move from their flagship Times Square location into the building formerly known as the Freedom Tower.

According to NY Magazine, employees were emailed a memo regarding the move today:

‘We have been evaluating real estate opportunities that would allow us to house all our brands in a single, state-of-the-art headquarters, as some of you may already know.As part of that process, we are in active discussions regarding 1 World Trade Center, a development project underway with the Durst Organization (our 4 Times Square landlord) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

While a final decision is several months away — and a move itself unlikely before 2014 – we wanted to keep you apprised of the status of this project. We also wanted to alert you, since it is now highly likely that we will move from 4 Times Square, whether to 1 World Trade Center or another location, that we will be reviewing our present and future space requirements for each of our businesses. More information about that process will be communicated shortly.”

It was speculated that Conde Nast would be one of the first tenants at the World Trade Center site after Durst was confirmed as one of the of two developers overseeing the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site. Durst’s relationship with high profile tenants was seen as an advantageous by the Port Authority.

This is the second announcement of publications moving into the lower manhattan area. The Daily News, America Media Inc. and Manseuto Ventures have recently called our area their new homes.

Crumbs Wall Street

Crumbs Wall Street Gives Away Free Weekend Cupcakes!

Crumbs Wall Street
Crumbs Wall Street

First of all, how could you miss the memo about the Crumbs on Wall Street?

Secondly, how could you not take them up on their summer cupcake giveaway? Crumbs Wall Street is offering a buy one get one coupon on the weekends at their new Crumbs location in our area. Ok, so it’s not entirely a free giveaway — but since when were cupcakes a loner food? Cupcakes are best consumed in pairs. In general and with others.

In order to get your free cupcake, make sure to print out their coupon here.

The offer is good throughout September 5th — clearing your way to a summer weekends filled with cupcakes!

CRUMBS WALL STREET
87 Beaver St (Pearl/Hanover)
New York, NY 10005

T 212 480 7500
F 212 480 7507

Sunday: OPEN!
Monday: 7:30am – 8pm
Tuesday: 7:30am – 8pm
Wednesday: 7:30am – 8pm
Thursday: 7:30am – 8pm
Friday: 7:30am – 8pm
Saturday: OPEN!

battery-park-city-dog-leash-law

Battery Park City Dog Owners On A Short Leash

battery-park-city-dog-leash-law
Battery Park CIty dog owners are on a short leash

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but dog owners are not best friends with the Parks Department these days.

The Parks Department have been stepping up their efforts to enforce leash laws, prohibiting unleashed dogs to run in public areas during all hours — in stark contrast with laws which had previously allowed unleashing during certain hours and were relatively unenforced.

Dog owners are up in arms with the unclear rules and have called the new enforcements “confusing.” According to a report in the Downtown Express, “The Parks Department said there is no confusion about the law which was codified back in 2007, shortly after the city’s then Board of Health voted in favor of the informal ‘courtesy hours’ policy, which allowed dogs off leashes in designated areas of City parks between 9PM and 9AM.”

Battery Park is not included as one of the places that allows for leash-free dogs.

Violations of this rule are costly: non-compliant dog owners can be forced to pay $100 fines for unleashed dogs.

However, according to Jeff Galloway, longtime founder of the Battery Park City Dog Association, enforcement of the rule has been arbitrary. In an email sent to Battery Park City residents, Galloway states, “Off-leash privileges in Battery Park have resulted in no damage to the Park and, to the contrary, have greatly enhanced the quality of life for local residents, by providing a much-needed recreation area for local pets and by making the Park safer for all residents during the hours in which off-leash use had been permitted. The Financial District is fast-becoming a vibrant residential area; if Battery Park becomes off-limits, Financial District residents will have no place in their own neighborhood to take their dogs. Many BPC residents would love to have an off-leash area as well, and Battery Park is conveniently located for BPC residents.”

Community Board 1 is in recess for August, but have invited the Parks Department to discuss the issue when the board reconvenes in September. For those interested in supporting the Downtown Dog Owners initiatives to keep unleashed hours in Battery Park, sign the petition online.

How do you feel about dog owners unleashing pets in Battery Park during designated hours?

Woody Harrelson and Justin Timberlake film Friends with Benefits in Battery Park City

Movies Filmed In Battery Park City

Woody Harrelson and Justin Timberlake film Friends with Benefits in Battery Park City
Filming of "Friends With Benefits" (Credit: Wenn Images)

As the filming for Justin Timberlake’s “Friends With Benefits” have taken over our neighborhood the last couple of days, it had our team thinking…

What other movies have taken over our esplanade in this way?

At first thought, we remembered Barbra Streisand’s ‘Prince of Tides,’ and then before we knew it an entire list was cobbled together.

So to help you at your next neighborhood cocktail party, we present:

(Some) Movies Filmed in Battery Park City List!(In seriously no particular order!)

1. ‘Prince of Tides’ (1991) starring Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand – scenes were filmed in and around the esplanade.

2. ‘Hackers’ (1995) starring Angelina Jolie (before Brad) – scenes filmed at the then new Stuyvesant High School

3.  ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’ (2010) starring Shia LeBouf and Michael Douglas – scenes filmed in and around the Bowling Green area.

4. ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ (2010) starring Nic Cage – scenes filmed in Battery Park.

5. ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ (2010) starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt – scenes were filmed at the Ritz Carlton Battery Park

6. ‘P.S. I Love You’ (2007) starring Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank

7. ‘Boomerang’ (1992) starring Eddie Murphy

8. ‘The Good Guy’ (2009) starring Alexis Bledel (Thanks to FB friend Ellen!)

9. ‘Hitch’ (2005) starring Will Smith (Thanks to FB friend Honey!)

10. ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ (1985) starring Madonna (Thanks to FB friend Fern!)

11. ‘Men In Black’ (1997) starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (Thanks to FB friend Laura!)

12. ‘I Am Legend’ (2007) starring Will Smith (Thanks to FB friend Tom who also honorably mentions ‘Working Girl’ starring Melanie Griffith)

13. ‘Inside Man’ (2006) starring Denzel Washington and Clive Owen (Thanks to Roberta!)

Any others we might be missing? Let us know!