Seen & Heard: Distressing Rumor About Best Market

••• A reader heard from a manager at the Duane Reade on Greenwich that the Best Market deal (for the Food Emporium space) is off. This would obviously be distressing news, but I can’t get Best Market to confirm or deny. If anyone knows anything, please call/text 917-209-6473 or email tribecacitizen@gmail.com. UPDATE: JPL points out that the Best Market website has a page for the Tribeca store, which is a good sign.

••• A help-wanted sign has been posted in the window of Maman’s forthcoming outpost on W. Broadway, so maybe it’s opening soon.

Maman••• And I peeked into Two Hands‘s open door yesterday. The light fixtures have been installed.

••• Added to the agenda for the Community Board 1 Tribeca Committee on Dec. 9: “105 Duane Street Plaza – Update by Michael Levine, CB1 Land Use Consultant.” That’s Tribeca Tower. Is there an issue with the plaza? UPDATE: Jean Grillo explained what’s going on: “Last June, the building began added a huge ugly metal smoke stack to the park. A maintenance person said it was all part of back-up emergency generator system to be used in emergency. But this winter, we’ve heard loud noise coming from it 24/7—seems it’s permanent boiler heating. I complained to CB1 because the developer, Related Companies, got 20 extra stories by giving community the public park, and now it’s impossible to sit in due to the noise and horrible wooden plank benches.” CB1 says the city is aware of it, citing Related for unauthorized design changes and asking the company to address the noise. UPDATE #2: I went to take a photo of the (ugly!) exhaust pipe and the noise really would drive anyone living nearby nuts. (And forget about sitting in that plaza.) The video below only sort of captures the sound.

••• My back-up Christmas card idea: A photo of my dog with Santa at Brookfield Place. Info here. (Note: The sponsored email that went out yesterday included Dec. 23 as one of the dates, but that’s not the case.)

 

15 Comments

  1. Best Market has a page for a TriBeCa store on their website including reference to applying for positions there. But if that rumor is true that could be old information, it is at http://bestmarket.com/stores/tribeca/#.VmLrj3o8KrU .

  2. Is the noise from the stack as loud as the generator noise from the Feelings Museum? Could that structure be anymore intrusive onto public park space?

  3. Also, I have a lovely small dog but am disgusted at seeing dogs in Hudson Eats on benches and being fed under the table multiple times. Security does not seem to have a problem with it after my friend and I pointed it out. Perhaps everyone should bring their dog to the food court.

  4. Can you bring your dog to Hudson Eats? I would be delighted if we could! No disgust here.

  5. So when is TriBeCa gonna have the first ever dogs only cafe? I think it’d be hilarious to see a place with 100 seats where half are occupied by dogs, all kinds of dogs sitting up on the chairs. “What would your dog like sir?” RUFF! RALF! “Oh the crabcake biscuit, right away!” LOL. LMAO if the place hires a bouncer and a guard dog to regulate dog behavior.

  6. This person who “heard” from the former food emporium store manager that the Best Market deal is off…how did he hear it? The store has been closed for over a week now…Is he a personal friend of the former manager?

  7. By the way, I will try to confirm again with the VP of Best Market store operations if he will will reply to my e-mail i just sent him…
    I’ll let you know if i find out anything…though it would seem odd that they would put up a tribeca store webpage just 4 days ago if the deal had “fallen through”…

  8. Sorry Erik…my bad (lol)…Still, how the heck would the manager of Duane Reade know that?
    By the way, not only did they add the tribeca web page to their site, but “tribeca” is on their store locator list as well as on their main page showing as “coming soon” like their other newly purchased locations…also it shows the store hours and there is a link to apply for jobs…And that was all updated only four days ago…
    I suspect that manager’s information is bs but we will see….If i hear back from my original contact from Best Market, i will e-mail you and let you know…

  9. Walked by Pakistan team house today and the windows are papered. Has it gone out of business? Gonna miss those delicious $1 samosas.

  10. Erik: I would love to know the duane reade manager’s source for the supposed “deal off” for Best Market Tribeca…As you know, i received confirmation from the VP of Store operations about two weeks ago that it was a done deal…and in addition to that, tribeca has been added to Best Market’s website as well, including a link to apply for employment….

    I haven’t received any further communication from them on my newer inquiry so far (of course if i do i will let you know)…

    It would seem logical, that if the deal had indeed fallen through, they would REMOVE tribeca from their website…so i would suggest we all keep an eye on it to see if they do or not…If they don’t remove it, then that would be a positive sign…and would also disprove that “report”…

  11. While it is great that Brookfield has extended the hours of Santa Claus (it used to just be over one long weekend) and now has times for your dog to sit on Santa’s lap (awesome!), their display this year is sorely lacking. Santa used to be in the middle of the Winter Garden in a beautiful sleigh with Christmas trees and lights as the backdrop. It made for beautiful photos and experience. This year, Santa is stuffed in a tiny weird mirrored office room upstairs, with no decorations whatsoever, and plain white vertical blinds in the background (open to the office lobby behind). Many of us decided to do our Christmas photos elsewhere this year. It is too bad because it used to be so nice. I hope they hear the complaints and make it a little more special next year.

    • Looks like they have gotten the feedback. This is now on the website (http://brookfieldplaceny.com/events/santa#) –

      Brookfield Place thanks all of those who have sent feedback on their recent visit to Santa’s Winter Wonderland at Brookfield Place. The comments of our community are valuable to us in helping shape the best possible experience for our guests.

      As you know, this is an exciting time in that we made major improvements to this iconic property with the completion of an extensive renovation and expansion of additional retail space and artisanal food options. Our free events have expanded this year as well with Luminaries, a state-of-the-art holiday light installation in the Winter Garden designed by famed architect David Rockwell. The Winter Garden was the best place to install this project and as the property has opened and grown over the last year, we decided that the new location for Santa’s Winter Wonderland would be exciting for all those who visit, with views of the harbor and the skyline as the perfect backdrop.

      That said, we understand that the new location and look of the photos has disappointed some of our community, and as we take our customers’ concerns very seriously, we are using this opportunity to make Santa’s Winter Wonderland more in line with what has been requested and valued.

      We are thrilled that Brookfield Place remains a holiday celebration destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike and we are committed to working with the most highly-acclaimed partners in the world. This includes Mr. Claus, too.

  12. Would hardly seem likely that the “deal fell through” as claimed by the Duane Reade Manager, regarding Best Market Tribeca when there is a brand new Banner Ad when you go to Best Market’s main webpage that says “Now Hiring” and contains a list of their most recent purchases INCLUDING TRIBECA…

    That posted to their site just yesterday! I think that should pretty much confirm that the deal was done and they are, indeed, on the way here…

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