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Seen & Heard: Asphalt Green Protest Update
••• A new spa for stutterers is opening on Warren. The phone doesn’t work yet so I don’t have more info on it.
••• Plans are indeed underway for a protest about the battery Park City Authority’s stonewalling of Asphalt Green. Follow the progress on Facebook or Twitter, and/or email bpcasphaltrally@gmail.com if you want to volunteer.
••• Looks like work is starting on the prepared-food restaurant at 73 Warren (right).
••• RuthAnne found out some info about the wine bar coming to W. Broadway and White: “I met the woman who is opening the restaurant at the old Franklin Station space. It is the same owners as Aria. They told me this one is going to be called Terra. They were looking for signatures for a liquor license on the corner on Friday night.”
••• What if Fran Fine became a lawyer instead of “The Nanny”? A TV show called “Made in Jersey”—shooting Wednesday on Warren—answers that question. Also, “Law & Order: SVU” is shooting around Duane on Friday.
••• Cricketer’s Arms, the pub coming to the old Uncle Mike’s space, put up some signage on its door. At least I hope it’s called the Cricketer’s Arms, and that the owners didn’t want to pay the sign guy extra for the apostrophe. Also, the building has been painted in a black-and-white English-country style.
••• Look what just popped up on Twitter: The space at Chambers and Broadway that houses a Duane Reade is for lease. It’s a shame because that’s the only one around here that I’ll venture into.
••• From Downtown Alliance: “With the introduction of the innovative BigBelly Solar Stations, Lower Manhattan’s 57,000 residents, 310,000 workers and 10 million annual tourists now have a new way to dispose of their trash. Able to hold five times more than regular receptacles, BigBelly Solar Stations provide on-site trash compaction driven by solar power and remotely monitored via wireless technology.” They look like those FedEx dropboxes you see around.
••• Hudson Allergy has opened at 49 Murray. (Simply typing the word “allergy” makes me sneeze.) The website isn’t live yet.
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Today’s article in the Broadsheet re: dueling protests is laughable. Mark Costello, labeled as a past LL President, & Bill Bialosky, the current Downtown Soccer President, are coordinating an anti-asphalt green rally. Here are 2 guys who, by virtue of their community titles, are essentially portrayed as representing a large group of downtown parents and kids in this rally. Don’t be mislead. They are only representing themselves and their own personal agendas / beliefs. They live as far away from the new BPC community facility as possible in Downtown. They live in primo Tribeca loft territory up by Canal Street. Do you think they have any plans of every using AG? – absolutely not! In fact, they would never even consider stepping foot in BPC to purchase real estate – because of the ground rents. They just want to use the fields. Unlike BPC and nearby Tribeca residents and families, these guys have zero vested interest in seeing AG succeed. Instead they want to pander some ridiculous fear that the BPC fields will be threatened by AG. Let’s not forget that these BPC fields, as well as AG, are subsidized through ground rents that BPC parents pay, whether via rent or as owners. While I adore the fact that all the community downtown Parents and children come together to use the fields for soccer and baseball, my problem here is that there are 100s of kids and parents who live in BPC and in nearby Tribeca who want the AG facility to open immediately, and even more importantly prefer it to be run by AG. So – please Bill & Mark don’t represent us in this issue, despite the fact we participate in your baseball and soccer leagues. Now there is one BPC resident who is adamantly opposes AG and will probably lurk around the rally, Bob Townley. His agenda is somewhat different than Bill & Mark’s. It is to protect the Manhattan Youth Kingdom he built. The Kingdom that is providing him with what is likely a fairly decent living – at least a decent enough living to have regular weekly cocktails at the Palm Restaurant among the Goldman Sachs bankers. Think about it. Look, this whole AG opposition thing continues to smell. Does anyone really think AG is going to ignore teens, seniors & community events – come on! If anything, AGs professionalism will help to enhance the quality of life in BPC & lower Manhattan. Also, I bet it will probably provide a lot of support to DSL and DLL. In summary, if you live someplace where you feel you will have no use of the AG facility, then go ahead – join Mark, Bill (and probably Bob) – at the rally next to PS 89 (our BPC School). It may be a long haul from the Northern Tribeca loft, but you never know, maybe the organizers will invite you to the Palm for drinks afterwards ahead of your long return trip home.
Also interesting to note that it is to take place in front of ps 89 at the exact time as the parents (400 or so) come to pick up their children from the Manhattan Youth/ DCC run after-school program.
I have not spoken with anyone in BPC, FIDI or Tribeca who is against AG. Every parent downtown supports AG because we are DESPERATE for high quality options.
All residents would welcome having a not-for-profit organization with the history of success, excellence and community service that AG has provided to the upper east side for 20+ years in our neighborhood.
It’s interesting that Mark Costello chose not to join the group that had already begun to form with the intent of exploring why AG had not opened, and instead decided to make his own group.
I’m so puzzled by the “transparency” excuse. BPCA seems like the least transparent board ever. They close half of their meetings to the public. And as a nonprofit, AG has to be audited every few years to ensure its tax status. They also have to make sure that compensation is comparable to other non-profits, and many other requirements. Maybe the transparency excuse is that AG is more transparent than BPCA wants to be?