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City Council Primary 2025: Christopher Marte
We will have a primary on June 24 for our City Council District 1 seat, currently occupied by Christopher Marte. And since there are a few hot issues right now, I sent the four candidates — Jess Coleman, Elizabeth Lewinsohn, Eric Yu and of course Marte — a short list of questions gleaned from comments, along with a request for an interview. I am running the responses in the order they are returned. See the questionnaire below.
You can also read more about candidate finances here.
Chris Marte first ran for our council seat in 2021, securing 40 percent of the first-choice votes in rank choice voting — far and above any of the other eight candidates that round. He won again in the 2023 redistricting election with 63 percent of the vote in a much smaller field. (He also ran in 2017, losing to Margaret Chin by 200 votes.)
The decision to run for council was easy at the time: Growing up on Bowery and Rivington, he watched as his father closed his bodega due to rising rents; a former public school in the neighborhood was converted to a luxury hotel, despite a deed restriction for a non-profit; and the state refused to make improvements at the nearby NYCHA housing project. Since his election he has joined committees that reflect those concerns: Public Safety; Criminal Justice; Civil and Human Rights; and Higher Education; as well as two subcommittees: Landmarks, Public Sitings, and Dispositions; Senior Centers and Food Insecurity; and three caucuses: Black, Latino and Asian Caucus; Irish Caucus; and Progressive Caucus.
“Every day is completely different,” he said of his time on the City Council so far. “You’re always learning. You become a pseudo-expert on things that were never your priorities but are so interesting.”
Marte, who is 36 and lives in Soho (he works out in Tribeca — he took up swimming as part of his training for an Ironman race a few years back, and will join the Stuy pool to start up again soon for next year’s race) went to PS 20, then Nativity Mission Center School for middle school and St. Agnes on the Upper West Side for high school before he left town for college — winning a scholarship that allowed him to study all over the world. His first job was in finance; he left in 2017 to work for Arena, a Democratic PAC financed largely with tech money and focused on flipping seats. He co-founded Neighbors United Below Canal to fight the jail planned for White Street.
He has a lot of issues his office has started working on and aims to finish: they have three affordable housing projects in the works, two which have not been announced yet. (One is a Catholic Charities project on Broome and Clinton.) He has introduced legislation to support health care for municipal employees and a bill that supports home attendants so they are not working 14-hour days.
He has also prioritized open spaces across the district this year, funding the PS 20 playground overhaul for $5.7 million, distributing participatory budgeting funds for the playground at PS 124 in Chinatown and then adding to the pot to fund Barnett Newman Triangle and PS 42’s playground on the LES. He also provided planters for the Tribeca North Association, two rounds of funding for improvements to Washington Market Park’s paths and playground and converting an abandoned playground into a dog run on Henry and Rutgers. (His office also has their own rat mitigation team from ACE.)
“I feel like our team has been really visible and successful,” Marte said (he has a storefront office 65 East Broadway under the Manhattan Bridge and tabled regularly for participatory budgeting, which had one of the top 10 responses in the city). “I really want to finish these projects off. We are so close to a lot of big successes.”
To the questionnaire:
SIDEWALK SHEDS
As you know, Tribeca is covered with sidewalk sheds, as is the rest of the city. In fact some sheds have been up for decades! What is your suggestion for a solution? Any input on Local Law 11 reform?
I helped pass legislation that will finally end this endless scaffolding cycle. The bills I’ve co-sponsored put a set limit on how long scaffolding can stay up, establish greater transparency for permits and timelines, and require better lighting for safety and visibility. We’ve seen progress even as they were recently implemented–my office has already been able to remove some of our district’s oldest sheds.
At the same time, I’ve been working with the Department of Buildings to advocate for a pilot program to use 3D imaging and possibly drones to inspect building façades, which could identify issues before they require disruptive repairs and prevent sheds from going up in the first place.
TOWER PLANNED FOR IPN
Stellar Management and Vornado have proposed a 900-foot tower for the low-rise part of Independence Plaza on Greenwich and Jay. What is your reaction to this plan? How would you get involved in the discussions on this as-of-right development? What is the tallest new building you would support on the site?
Stellar and Vornado’s proposal is the latest example of their overreach. As a Council Member, I’m always working to put the needs of my neighbors over the profit margins of luxury developers. This development doesn’t benefit anyone except the real estate industry, while threatening the livability, affordability, and character of our historic neighborhoods.
The community’s perspective has been clear: a new tower will drive up rent, spread speculation, strain existing infrastructure, displace our cornerstone senior center, and exacerbate existing environmental issues. From the beginning, I’ve worked alongside residents, who created the Community First Development Coalition, and top land use experts to organize and fight back. While the City and developers try to keep information behind closed doors, I’ve hosted town halls to ensure neighbors are informed on the proposal and learn from other parts of the district about how to fight back.
Patchwork zoning in Tribeca has long been a problem–and developers continue to use this to their advantage while putting long-time residents and new families looking for affordable homes at risk. Without real community planning, Tribeca will always be under the thumb of Vornado and companies just like it. I’m continuing to advocate to the Department of City Planning and will work with whoever the next Mayor is to finally implement the long-term solution: zoning that prioritizes affordability and community preservation over speculative luxury towers and real estate profits.
PARKING PLACARDS
Cars with fake parking placards clog our local streets every day, blocking commercial parking and creating problems not just for residents but for businesses trying to get deliveries. There are times when entire streets are blocked as a result. Do you have a solution for this?
I’ve been one of the most vocal elected officials, demanding a serious crackdown on placard abuse. We need real-time enforcement, a digital placard verification system, and clear agency accountability. The City knows exactly who the repeat offenders are–whether they’re state employees, NYPD, or other public servants misusing their credentials. What’s missing is the political will to act.
I’ve introduced and supported legislation to move placard enforcement away from agencies who are unwilling to police their own members. As long as oversight remains in the hands of those who benefit from the abuse, we’ll continue to see corruption on our streets.
My office is in constant communication with local precincts to curb the behavior of the worst offenders. We’ve successfully moved vehicles that have enjoyed parking on our sidewalks for decades, blocking pedestrian access and more importantly, impeding people with disabilities or strollers. By working directly with NYPD headquarters at 1 Police Plaza, we’ve removed all placard parking from the Park Row corridor and replaced the illegal parking spots with planters.
NEW WHITE STREET JAIL
The Manhattan site for the borough-based jail in Chinatown is now fully demolished and renderings have been released along with a new cost estimate of $3.7 billion, up from $2.1 billion. And the completion date is now 2032. What is your hope for this site? How should the city proceed?
The Chinatown jail proposal is a complete policy failure–and it’s only becoming more indefensible. The demolition is done, but what remains is a project that has ballooned to $3.7 billion and delayed until at least 2032. This has never been about criminal justice reform. Each stumbling step forward makes it even more clear that this is a money-making scheme for some of the shadiest developers and contractors in our city.
Even when I first took office, there were many people that said the new jail was a done deal and there was nothing we could do. But I have never stopped pushing for an alternative plan. Just weeks ago, the Mayor stated that he doesn’t see a path forward for the jail, and is considering housing or a health center. Instead of pouring billions into building new jails, we should be investing in the services that actually make communities safer–affordable housing, mental health care, education, and restorative justice programs.
We can close Rikers without replicating its harm elsewhere. One viable and often overlooked alternative is the decommissioned federal Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) site just blocks away—an option that Senator Schumer has already expressed interest in exploring. The City should actively pursue acquiring that facility from the federal government and explore its reuse as a smaller, more appropriately located alternative, rather than forcing this massive jail onto Chinatown.
COUNTERFEIT GOODS SELLERS
The crowds of counterfeit luxury good sellers along Broadway and Canal frustrate residents as much as they seem to attract tourists. Do you think this has to be a priority for local policing? And if so, what is your proposed solution?
The 1st precinct does the best they can with resources they have, and I’ve successfully worked with the past 3 captains to increase the support they are getting from City Hall and 1 Police Plaza to better enforce the vending on Canal Street.
That being said, arresting vendors and confiscating goods will only go so far in stopping the counterfeit vending on Canal Street. This has been the City’s approach for decades, and the fact that the vending still persists proves that it doesn’t truly solve the issue. The City must adopt a coordinated strategy with State and Federal law enforcement partners to address it effectively. That includes targeted enforcement against illegal operations and the organized networks behind them, not just individual vendors. Whenever we see a story on the news about a major interagency operation at a warehouse that confiscates hundreds of millions of dollars of counterfeit goods, it’s followed by months of calm on Canal Street. We know these operations work, we just need them on a regular basis.
On the City level, we have been advocating for stronger interagency coordination between the NYPD, DSNY, and DOT to keep sidewalks clear, particularly around schools, transit hubs, and commercial corridors like Canal Street. At the same time, we are urging the City to take a long-term systemic approach–one that tackles the root causes, not just the symptoms. Our shared goal is a safe, clean, and welcoming Canal Street–for residents, small businesses, and tourists alike.
CONGESTION PRICING
How do you think congestion pricing is working out so far? What are the benefits and issues for the neighborhood, as you see it?
The program has been functioning as intended, with some reduction in traffic downtown–particularly in the area surrounding the Holland Tunnel. However, we will continue to advocate for exemptions or discounts for local residents, in line with models used in cities like London, Stockholm, and Singapore. We also remain committed to pushing for greater transparency in how the generated revenue will be allocated as commuters continue to struggle to navigate endless delays and stations with no accessibility.
HOMELESS SHELTERS
As you know, the city’s homeless population has increased in the past year, and this neighborhood has, along with many others, seen an increase in people living on the streets. The city has opened a new Safe Haven shelter in the Financial District and has two more coming online soon in the Civic Center. Residents have been opposed to all three, but most vocally the one site next to the Peck Slip School on Pearl Street. What is your approach to this issue?
Every day, my office helps neighbors living in our district’s shelters navigate the complex bureaucracy of being homeless. We have worked with constituents who have lived in shelters for years because their case workers are committing fraud and stealing their vouchers, or refusing to help find them permanent housing. When you speak with people who choose to live on the street, too often they say it’s because they don’t feel safe in our shelter system. The only solution to homelessness is permanent affordable housing–that’s where we should be spending our budget, not on shelter contracts.
The gaps in our public health infrastructure leave many people with mental illness and substance abuse disorders with nowhere to receive the treatment and support they need. After years of experiencing homelessness, safe havens can be a first step in helping people get back on their feet. Personal relationships and targeted health care can make the difference needed to end chronic homelessness. However, the siting of Safe Havens is also integral to their success.
Many of our neighbors on Community Board 1 are supportive of Lower Manhattan doing its part and hosting shelters–and have even identified locations. However the City has weaponized an emergency executive order to site shelters where they choose, without any community input. The result is contracts that enrich the Mayor’s donors and leave neighbors scrambling to make sense of top-down decisions. The proposed site right next to the Peck Slip School raises legitimate concern. Safe havens should be a welcoming place for some of our city’s most vulnerable without being overpoliced–as would likely happen if there was active recess time just steps away from the shelter’s entrance. There are many logistical concerns that would inhibit the success of both the safe haven and the school’s operations.
CRIME
Many readers feel there has been a rise in crime since the pandemic (and statistics support that) and not much has been done about it. What is your approach to community policing? This could include policies to address violent crime, muggings and burglary, as well as “minor” issues like graffiti and other vandalism, public urination, counterfeit sellers who take over areas of Canal Street.
We have community policing and it works. The community affairs unit at the First Precinct is one of the most responsive in my district. My office has worked with them on everything from vending and placard abuse to block parties and crime responsiveness. An uptick in crime during and after a global pandemic that cost people their lives and livelihoods isn’t the type of turmoil New York City will recover from overnight. But by working closely with police and community partners, we are making progress beyond reacting to crime after it has taken place.
We can never go back to broken windows policing–even though we see conservatives pushing for it. I have been happy to partner with the District Attorney in supporting programs that get repeat offenders.
SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS
As you know, Tribeca residents really value our local restaurants and shops, which we believe give the neighborhood much of its character. We are worried about the challenges for them from two consistent forces: real estate costs and city regulations and fines. You can read more about what we mean here and here. Do you have any solutions for protecting small businesses from the pressures of rising real estate costs? Do you have any ideas for addressing retail vacancies?
Our small businesses are the backbone of neighborhoods like Tribeca, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side. They create jobs, bring unique character, and foster a sense of community. Yet they are being squeezed by rising rents, excessive fines, and burdensome city bureaucracy.
I strongly support legislation that protects small businesses—such as the Small Business Jobs Survival Act—and have been vocal in advocating for a vacancy tax on landlords who leave storefronts empty for extended periods. I also believe the City must provide greater legal and technical assistance to help small business owners navigate leases, regulatory agencies, and complex permitting processes.
We must also rethink how we utilize our ground-floor spaces. That means incentivizing local retail, pop-up shops, and community-based businesses rather than allowing speculative chains or ghost kitchens to dominate our streetscape. I will continue to fight to ensure our neighborhoods don’t turn into corridors of empty storefronts or generic big-box stores.
43 Comments
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Two disqualifying things for me: voting against City of Yes (and having no apparent housing plan besides NIMBYism and opposing every single housing development) and the flip flopping on congestion pricing. You can’t show up at rallies chanting against congestion pricing and then try to say you just want local exemptions (which is pandering and not practical, BTW).
100% agree. Especially with congestion pricing we need a clear agreement that our politicians support it. Exemptions and carve outs ruin everything. See also parking placards. Will recommend not voting for him.
If you think the City of Yes will produce a single unit of so-called “affordable” housing, I have a bridge nearby I’ll sell you.
There is absolutely no guarantee that a single unit of affordable housing will be built. Isn’t that correct?
However, you can bet your life it will produce scads of high-rise, out-of-scale luxury housing for real estate speculators.
The fact that the Real Estate Board of NY, REBNY — the front for the biggest developers in the city — supports the City of Yes and has set up a Super PAC cynically called Jobs for NY that has viciously attacked Marte tells you that Marte is on OUR side, not real-estate speculators.
See here: https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2025/06/06/rebny-pac-releases-ad-attacking-chris-marte/
Furthermore, the majority of community boards in the city voted NO – just like Marte did – to the City of Yes.
What does that tell you?
So if you want a councilmember beholden to the local residents, vote Marte.
If you want one beholden to the Real Estate Board of NY, vote Coleman.
Gosh, you people are so unserious. What’s your plan, then? Never build? You can’t “mandate” affordable housing. It’s a free market (for better or for worse). City of Yes is objectively the largest proposal for the creation of affordable housing in the history of the city. Every housing expert agrees it’s a step in the right direction. You demagogues just keep spreading this same nonsense for decades to prop up your SoHo property values while the rest of us suffer. You’ve had your way, it’s clearly not working. Time to vote out the NIMBYs.
What part of “there is not a single guarantee that a single unit of affordable housing will be built” don’t you understand?
Yes or No: Is there any guarantee?
No!
Will luxury, market-rate housing be built?
Yes!
“Every housing expert”?? Really? That’s droll. Which experts? Your friends at REBNY?
Oh, so you want to bring up SoHo? Bring it on.
First, SoHo was affordable at the time when so many people were too frightened to live there and chose a more luxe neighborhood, say, BPC.
Then the real-estate speculators discovered it.
SoHo community activists and historic preservationists didn’t gentrify SoHo. Big real-estate did.
In fact, that rezoning has led to the removal of affordable AIR artists lofts and those lofts converted to straight residential units.
Like the three affordable AIR lofts ridden of artists at 142 Greene Street and converted to straight residential use, so that the owner of What’s App can occupy the whole building for himself. This all part of the rezoning of SoHo that Open NY supported, the same group that endorsed Coleman.
Ain’t that right?
Similar at 42 Bleecker in NoHo = Affordable artists lofts lost and luxury units replacing them as a result of the rezoning that Open NY lobbied for.
Ain’t that right?
Secondly, the 2022 upzoning of SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown, which REBNY and your bros at Open NY supported, has proven to be an abject failure.
It is 3-1/2 years in, and not one unit of affordable housing has been built but luxury housing is in the pipeline.
Ain’t that right?
Furthermore, a humongous commercial building for Chobani yoghurt headquarters is going on the Bowery in NoHo where the City said affordable housing would be built, an upzoning Open NY championed.
Ain’t that right?
If you’re not sure, read here and learn how these neighborhoods were sold down the river by the likes of Open NY, the endorsers of Jess Coleman. https://media.villagepreservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/09094519/Report-The-SoHo-NoHo-Chinatown-Rezoning-Taking-Stock-FINAL.pdf
It does mandate affordable housing… if you want to build to the zoning capacity under the UAP, if you want the best treatment under the property tax code, you MUST include affordable housing. This is how it works in every city with more than marginal affordable housing requirements… if you’re saying it doesn’t FORCE developers to build something on land they own… yes, it doesn’t do that, because we have a constitution. I don’t know what to tell you. We can either get more housing or scream at the wall and do nothing, while rich people just keep blocking everything to up their property values. Be serious. People are waking up to your (and Marte’s) NIMBY nonsense. You’ve lost young people and are hollowing out the Democratic Party by sending congressional seats to republican states. Just be happy with your $3M condo that you bought for nothing and leave the rest of us alone.
I have nothing to do with REBNY or Open NY… You don’t know me you just attack and use empty rhetoric. Typical Marte stan. Literally the first housing development approved after the SoHo zoning is 25% affordable. You’re just lying. https://www.newyorkyimby.com/2023/02/first-proposed-housing-development-following-soho-noho-rezoning-revealed-for-277-canal-street-in-manhattan.html
Sandy: Lots of hypothetical and tentative “ifs” in your belief system, aren’t there?
But no demonstrative responses to the fact that another poster child of yours, the SoHo/NoHo/Chinatown upzoning, has proven a complete and total failure.
Sorry, but I believe in what IS happening, not what MIGHT happen….IF.
Btw, any comment on the fact that the majority of the city’s community boards have come out AGAINST the City of Yes?
James, glad you brought up 277 Canal — from an article 2-1/2 years old. lol
All that has happened there is that the ultra-wealthy developers and land barons, the Laboz family, has gotten approval from Landmarks for their paperwork, schematics and renderings. That’s it. No ground broken. Not even a building permit has been applied for after almost three years. Nada.
And were a few “affordable” units ever to be built there, for every one of those, there would be FOUR luxury, market-rate units. furthering the gentrification of Chinatown. This you support? Really?
Moreover, If you had done your homework and asked the bank manager of the ground floor Bank of America their future, as I did, instead of believing what you read on YIMBY, she would tell you that they intend to be there for the next several years. At least.
Don’t believe the hype from YIMBY, my friend, don’t believe the hype.
Meanwhile both James and Sandy are both deafeningly silent on the actual fruit of their YIMBY labors:
— the real-time loss of affordable AIR units at 142 Greene in SoHo and 44 Bleecker in NoHo
— the 100% luxury constructions on both W. Bdwy and Thompson Street going up in SoHo; or
— the mammoth 22-story Chobani headquarters going up where all the jejune YIMBYs bought de Blasio’s and REBNY’s BS of an affordable paradise.
Finally, is there anything you want to say to the artists who lost their homes on Bleecker and Greene Streets thanks to YIMBYs like you?
Everything you say here about the SoHo rezoning is just proof that it didn’t go far enough… Where is the runaway “luxury” development you NIMBYs warned of? No, we just got little to no housing at all. Because the rules are still way too restrictive. And yes, if 4 affordable units are proposed, I DO support it. Unlike you, I want to see more housing, no matter what. Truly don’t understand the mentality that any new housing is bad. Just totally weird and bizarre.
And it’s also curious that you keep citing community board votes (which are objectively not representative of their communities, btw), when the vast majority of the no votes came in the far outer boroughs in Republican areas. You also fail to mention that the majority of democrats and all but Marte in Manhattan voted for it. It’s really funny how you old timer Democrats walk around with your “Resistance” pins, yet at the same time you LOVE disproportionately white, rich, old community boards and spread talking points of people like Vickie Paladino. It’s really beyond the pale at this point.
Have fun voting for Marte and his worldview that is sucking this city dry. We’ll never win a presidential election again, but at least your SoHo loft will keep appreciating!
1- “community board votes, which are objectively not representative of their communities,“
If that is so, why is your guy, Coleman, sitting on CB1 and why are so many Open NY touts applying to join all over the city? Sorry, you can’t have it both ways.
2- “Where is the runaway “luxury” development you NIMBYs warned of?”
How about 32 and 30 Thompson Street, where rent-regulated tenants were displaced and the buildings demolished. In December, plans were filed for 23- and 26-story buildings with market-rate housing. Capice?
3- Since you refuse to state what you would say to the artists on Bleecker and Greene Streets who were displaced because of the upzoning you Open NY tools championed, have you anything to say to the displaced Thompson Street tenants?
I’m a fan of his office tree care program and Max from his team is great at the 1st pct community council meeting. I’ll vote for Chris again.
I’ve lived in Tribeca for 50 years and Chris has always been on our side fighting against the massive tower that Vornado wants to propose! Love the work he’s been doing, keep it up
Why does he want to replace the Astroturf with real grass? I know it is a global warming issue, but the fields become unusable 6 months a year. To use the lyrics of an old song “:where to the children play”
Marte has nothing to worry about from his opponents. Their smear attacks reek of desperation. Especially appreciate how he’s show up for Tribeca after we were neglected by past representation.
No one has done more to make our streets unsafe than this guy. This is fhe biggest issue in this election and Marte gets an F grade. Oh yeah, he does not believe that criminals should be incarcerated. This guy and Alvin Bragg are cut from the same cloth. I would prefer that my children can walk the city safely, i would literally vote for anyone but Marte.
Until the consumers buying counterfeit goods start getting ticketed and fined, the street market disaster will continue. Not one of the candidates has talked about addressing demand instead of the supply.
Never worked with any city representative who is more receptive and always available. I will definitely vote for Chris again.
Agree.
“We also remain committed to pushing for greater transparency in how the generated revenue will be allocated as commuters continue to struggle to navigate endless delays and stations with no accessibility.”
Imagine if the MTA put an easily accessible website up that details the exact way the money will be spent. I bet that would definitely change his mind.
https://www.mta.info/fares-tolls/tolls/congestion-relief-zone/better-transit
You can’t please all the people all the time. I think Chris Marte has done a commendable job of representing as many of his constituents as possible. I have first hand experience that his office responds quickly to local issues.
Marte voted against City of Yes. He’s the only member in our entire BOROUGH and it just insane to me that he refuses to accept responsibility for refusing to build more housing for all of us.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/19/nyregion/city-of-yes-nyc-housing-crisis.html
I want my kids to be able to afford a place of their own in NYC one day. The only way we do that is to build more.
From Ezra Klein’s column in today’s New York Times:
“[This poll] reflects a tendency to treat actual problems as secondary to campaign messaging. No matter how well a message polls, it’s not going to solve a problem unless it is right about what is causing the problem in the first place. And Democrats aren’t struggling primarily because they choose the wrong messages. They’re struggling because they fail to solve problems.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/opinion/abundance-democrats-future.html
Am I the only person in this district who would like to hear a concrete answer from the candidates regarding the terrifying rise in antisemitism and attacks on Jews in NYC? This is my number one issue – what played out at Columbia and other universities is unacceptable and has led to hate crimes throughout the City , targeting Jews.
No, you are not. This is my #1, 2, and 3 issue. If there are no clear answers to this question, we won’t be worrying about housing for our children.
Thisnis my number one issue. Marte has been silent on this. Disqualifies him for me.
^^^ same. He has been endorsed by WFP and New York Progressive Action Network. We’re not interested in NYC becoming Los Angeles so it’s a hard pass for me.
Coleman is Jewish!
Marte is endorsed by the Working families party, who endorsed anti-israel Mamdani for their NUMBER ONE spot for mayor
https://workingfamilies.org/2025/06/nywfp-voting-guide-for-the-2025-primary-election/
I’ll let you decide which one you think will be better for Jews here.
About the counterfeit junk sellers: I saw a posting on a street pole yesterday about a petition. I scanned the QR code and it linked to the petition:
https://www.change.org/p/public-safety-health-crisis-on-lispenard-street
Seems like everyone who cares about this issue should sign this!
The petition is specifically about Lispenard Street, but clearly the issue affects other streets as well in the neighborhood: Canal Street (obviously), Broadway, Church Street, Walker Street, and even Mulberry Street, etc.
I’m not sure why the decision makers listed at the bottom are for different districts, though, rather than district 1. Perhaps Change.org automatically generates those links to decision makers.
We need to put more pressure on Chris Marte’s office and NYPD 1st Precinct to find a solution to this problem. This is not unsolvable. It’s happening in plain sight of the NYPD.
The NYPD should also consider taking action against consumers / people knowingly buying the counterfeit / stolen goods. This would send the right message.
Curious to know if a shelter was open in North West Tribeca. There has been an uptake in mentally unstable homeless people and many trash bags, cans have been ripped open and tossed over as if someone has been scrounging in them.
No, there are no shelters scheduled for the northwest corner.
Marte is very visible and approachable. However, my biggest issue is the rise in homeless people in Tribeca. It’s bad for these people not to have services and it effects the fabric of our neighborhood. Will any candidate help to fix this problem?
I asked Chris originally whether that is something he could help improve from his seat and he said yes. I think things have gotten much worse over the years sadly and I don’t hear any candidate with the interest in fixing this. Perhaps Tribeca residents don’t care enough aobut this.
I contacted Marte’s office about a street construction/noise issue and they were very helpful in getting it resolved. I will vote for him based on his office’s responsiveness.
I’ve had contact with Chris Marte’s office relating to various trash issues – they’ve always been pleasant and helpful.
BTW for those who believe in COY, it may be useful to read the below link from EV Grieve which discusses massive difficulties, horrible conditions etc suffered by tenants for years due to bad landlords.
This is just one example of many throughout NYC.
Bad NYC landlords are sadly not new news.
https://evgrieve.com/2025/06/east-village-tenants-call-for-nonprofit.html
Our other local news publication (Battery Broadsheet) had an in depth article early this year on Marte’s views on City of Yes and his vote against.
Agree or disagree, but know what’s he was really saying.
https://www.ebroadsheet.com/saying-no-to-city-of-yes/
We are very fortunate to have Chris as our councilman. He is one of the few city pols who doesn’t participate in pay to play scams. As the most expensive media market in the country, most pols see selling their votes to special interests as the only way they can raise needed campaign $. See the millions of $ the RE industry and other special interests have donated to Cuomo. Likewise with Adams and many council members. Since he doesn’t take special interest $, he votes what he believes is best for downtown residents. Not only does he not take special interest money, but every cycle the RE and restaurant industries try to defeat him by donating heavily to one of his primary opponents.
While most downtown residents opposed the Noho-Soho-Chinatown up zoning, Council members Chin and Rivera supported it. Had Chris been elected in 2019, he would have opposed it. Possibly killing it. As everyone predicted, this rezoning has had ZERO effect on rising rents.
The city council has little real power. It is very helpful that Marte, dating back to even before he was elected, shows up to lend his support to causes he believes. At a 2022 protest against the razing of Rockefeller Park, many of our local elected officials sent messages of support. Chris was the only official who came to the rally and spoke in support. He is always out front for causes he believes in and is a very visible presence in our community,
Hate to be negative but…
Looks like, per other TC article, Mark Gorton of Transportation Alternatives-Open Spaces-People for Public Space (and RFK supporter) is against Chris Marte and so is spending money on negative campaigning…..
Beyond horrible that this negative attacking is happening in our city, to an elected official who is young, grew up here.
It is clear that issues of land use and transportation – which impact daily life – are pulling apart people who likely agree on many if not most core Democratic policies (voting rights, abortion, gun control etc).
And the new “normal” is now an alignment of REBNY-bicycles?
In deep despair….
Sorry, but get real. As Fiorello LaGuardia is credited with saying, “There is no Republican or Democratic way to collect garbage.” “Core policies” do not solve the everyday unsolved problems of urban life in New York City, which do not include voting rights, abortion, gun control.
Negative ads may not be very effective as many of the voters in our district are well educated and informed. I rarely vote for those who run negative campaigns. Which are typically paid for by the RE lobby and other special interests.
BTW for those interested in City issues of land use, zoning and especially Mayor Adams’ COY….
Beyond Tribeca…
An interesting issue – the rezoning of the Garment District
Garment industry workers held a rally to save the Garment District and garment industry jobs from the City’s rezoning plan.
Worth reading and considering….
https://w42st.com/post/garment-district-workers-rally-rezoning/
Chris Marte has always sided on what residents want, city of yes and nimby are what drives up the cost of living in all of NYC with their outrageously high rents, they support Eric Adams and have donated Alot of money to his campaign to buy our city. Chris will put government in the hands of the people not special interest groups.