Photo by William Alatriste/NYC Council Media Unit

JULIE MENIN IS NOW COUNCIL SPEAKER
Former Tribecan Julie Menin, who was chair of Community Board 1 for seven years, has been elected City Council Speaker. She represents the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island. She founded Wall Street Rising, which focused on the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan for residents and small businesses, served as a board member of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the 9/11 Memorial Jury and the 9/11 Memorial Board, and was one of the founding board members of the World Trade Center Performing Arts Center, which is now PAC NYC.

GUCCI IN BROOKFIELD HAS CLOSED
Another closure for the mall — Gucci is papered over and no longer has that store listed on its website. (Thanks to J. and N. for the heads up.) I am not tracking it, but it does seem like there is a rash of closures. We had Seamore’s, Club Monaco, the cigar store. The whopper is H&M at 4 World Trade…

TOM DIXON STORE OPENS ON JAN. 15
Interior and furniture designer Tom Dixon will open a new multi-floor space on Franklin on January 15. More when I can swing by.

ANDY COHEN HAS A TRASH CAN IN HUDSON SQUARE
The Hudson Square BID dedicated a corner at the intersection of Vandam and Hudson to TV personality Andy Cohen, marking it with signage on a Big Belly trash can. Cohen hosts the show “Watch What Happens Live.” The BID announced that they celebrated with a ribbon cutting and gave him a key to the neighborhood that opens absolutely nothing.