What Tribecans cared about in 2023

On January 15, it will be five years since I took over the Citizen from Erik Torkells. And in that crazy time warp that all of us at a certain age seem to have, it feels like I have been doing it forever but forever went by in a week.

Many many thanks to all you readers for logging on and also for your regular contributions of tips, photos, encouragement and critiques. (I mean that last one — it all makes the TC better.) Of course a huge thank you to the advertisers, whose loyalty continues to make the TC a viable (small + local!) business. And since they are all local themselves, it makes it all so symbiotic. The entire enterprise continues to grow: there are 6700 subscribers and 160,000 page views from 70,000 users.

And now, the top 25 posts of 2023.

1. More (Taylor Swift) news from Franklin Street
The 2023 news cycle was all Swift, all the time, and so it was for the TC when Taylor left her house on Franklin to head to the football game.

2. A peek inside Taylor Swift’s Franklin Street apartment
This was just a link to a Post story about Taylor’s pad!

3. Hoarder’s car is dismantled by Sanitation and NYPD
The subject of a recent Nosy Neighbor — a man who lives out of his car and makes money by selling his space — had his collection dismantled and seized.

4. Century 21 will reopen in April
The famed department store has rose from the ashes and reopened on April 25.

5. Barnes & Noble Tribeca will close next month
I have to thank two readers directly for this tip, which came before the store’s announcement on social media: The bookseller will close the store, open since 2007, on Jan. 13.

6. Bed Bath & Beyond will close in the coming weeks
The store was on a list with a couple hundred others across the country as the company tried to avoid bankruptcy.

7. Clarity — finally — on one angle of congestion pricing for Downtown residents
The question of whether residents south of 60th Street who begin and end trips within the CBD would be tolled is finally answered.

8. Eulalie is getting closer to opening
The restaurant from husband-and-wife team Chip Smith and Tina Vaughn took over the space that was run for 38 years by Drew Nieporent.

9. Lots of bad luck for Tribeca
The street artist Felix Morelo added his Good and Bad Luck Spots to the intersections along Warren, though there seems to be more bad than good.

10. L’Entree has been closed by the marshal
The location was first a self-serve outpost for The Drug Store and Dirty Lemon starting in 2018, then a party space, then a restaurant and bar.

11. The neighborhood gains another Michelin star
This makes seven for Michelin-starred restaurants in the neighborhood proper, plus a few in Fidi and Soho.

12. The sturgeon have arrived
Pier 26 will be the home of a science playground that features two climbable fish.

13. Independence Plaza planning new tower?
Rumors that are growing increasingly loud say that tenants have been cleared from the townhouses at Jay, on the plaza that PS 150 once occupied.

14, Developers propose a 900-foot tower for Independence Plaza
Councilmember Chris Marte met recently with Stellar Management and got a quick sketch of their plans for the area south of Harrison at the former PS 150.

15. Sneak Peek 2: Paros Tribeca
The brothers behind the Greek fine dining on Franklin have renovated one of the prettiest spaces in the neighborhood. They open Thursday. (And yes, Taylor Swift has eaten there.)

16. Tribecan Michelle Gauthier, whose restaurant chain Mulberry & Vine started here, has died
The restaurant was a leader in the healthy fast casual movement and regularly had lines down the block.

17. New Kid on the Block: The Daily Grocer
Two veterans of the NYC culinary world, including the former GM of the Downtown Eataly, are making ready-to-cook to-go mealkits out of a storefront on West Broadway. (They just reopened in a bigger space down the block.)

18. Congestion pricing plan will charge $15 to drive Downtown
The fare has been proposed by a review board, whose report also includes rulings on exemptions for Downtown residents, electric vehicles and taxis.

19. Sneak Peek: L’Abeille à Côté
The more casual restaurant next door to L’Abeille has a soft open tonight for walk-ins; reservations start tomorrow.

 

20. Hmart coming to the former Jin Market space?
The 40-year-old Korean grocery chain was founded in Queens and has 102 locations across the country. It specializes in Asian produce and groceries.

21. 59 Franklin, compromised by a failed construction plan, will be demolished
Failed plans at 59 and 65 Franklin are destroying the entire block, building by building.

22. Kings Pharmacy, a Tribeca staple for 25 years, will close on June 30
The store had been at the center of Tribeca life since opening in 1998.

23. Longtime Downtown resident Sandy Imhoff dies at 70
After her apartment was torn open from the collapse of the garage on Ann Street, she was sent on an exhausting housing odyssey for nearly two weeks.

24. City plans homeless shelter for Beekman and William
Construction is scheduled to start next summer for a long-term shelter that would house 170 single men.

25. The new rules for curbside and sidewalk dining
The future of outdoor dining will include much simpler, unenclosed roadway cafes that are 20 feet from corners and are only in place April to November.

 

18 Comments

  1. Thank you Pam for keeping us informed about our neighborhood. Your service is truly valuable and we’re lucky to have TC. Keep up the great work!

  2. DITTO to what JP writes above. Thank you Pam for ALL that you do!

  3. It’s a daily read for me. Congratulations and thanks!

  4. Yes a big thank you Pam. You are my morning cup of coffee virtual friend in my bookmark bar.

  5. Thank you for running the Tribeca Citizen! It’s great to have this community resource. It makes it feel more like a neighborhood. We don’t always agree on things, of course, but it’s valuable to have this as a place to exchange views and opinions.

  6. Pam,
    I sure hope you are enjoying this because I am not sure what we would do without it! And, I do pretty much agree with you on everything, but would still love Tribeca Citizen regardless. Happy Anniversary.

  7. As a relatively new Tribeca resident, I find TC an invaluable resource and a regular read! We appreciate all you do to provide valuable news (good, bad and juicy!) on our neighborhood. Look forward to reading for years to come! :)

  8. Thank you Pam! I truly appreciate your work as a source of info, keeping us all connected and raising neighborhood issues!
    Happy new year!

  9. My Monday and Thursday start of the week and closing!!
    Now let’s close these illegal smoke shops!

  10. Always a good read.

  11. adding my voice of thanks to you Pam!

  12. Thanks Pam. You’ve done well at the helm since Erik.

  13. Thank you! I agree with the comments above. TC is a really nice way to feel closer to the neighborhood. Happy new year!

  14. Thank you Pam! Always great to read you

  15. Thanks so much for your always helpful information.

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